In this column a few months ago, I mentioned that I had been sitting 25th in line in a call centre queue, waiting patiently to speak to a real person.
I was reminded of that moment just last week, when I read a study by investment bank Goldman Sachs that suggested AI could eventually replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time roles in the US and Europe. Although done to improve business efficiency, it might be a way to shorten those long hours on hold.
Wouldn’t that be great? More time freed up to do the rest of the life admin that piles up in our busy schedules.
That’s fine if all you want to do is update some details or pay a bill. But if you’re in a crisis medical situation or under cyber-attack, you don’t want to be dealing with robots. Ultimately, you want to speak to a human being to make yourself fully understood. It got me thinking about how this juxtaposition between computer and human might play out in our industry.
When you walk into a car retailer, you may have pre-booked a test drive, asked and received answers to any of your technical questions. In future the car you want to test drive may identify that you have arrived, greet you, unlock and start, ready for you to take it for a spin on a predetermined route that ensures it returns to the forecourt safely at the end. No human interface would necessarily be required. But what about the many questions that don’t fit with the programmed script that the technology has learned?
In design and manufacturing, AI is already translating sketches into 3D models and predicting errors before they occur on the production line. But there has to be an original creative idea that sparks the process. If every industry used the same AI technology to design and build their cars, there would be little to no brand distinction. Customers may well simply opt for the newest product and it would become a race to be first, not best.
When we’re commissioned to find new leaders for organisations in the sector, the most common brief is ‘find me smart individuals who think outside the box’.
So, with that in mind, organisations should be thinking seriously about the impact that AI will have on resourcing. Where could AI enhance business performance or automate roles? What are the situations in which a human simply cannot be replaced?
AI can add real value, but leaders need a plan to get the best out of it, whether that is making sure the whole organisation is trained ready for the future, or looking at your skill base and identifying where the gaps could be filled with technology.
Lynda Ennis is the founder of global automotive and mobility executive search company Ennis & Co.
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