What will be the role of HR when robots sit next to humans in the workplace?
We’re not at that point yet, but, as Natasha Egre says in her DisruptHR presentation, it will happen. And sooner than many might think or like.
Artificial intelligence is predicted to replace millions of jobs in the next few years, Egre says. She ticks off a few: receptionists, paralegals, data entry. That’s just a sample: the World Economic Forum estimated that a third of the skill sets required for jobs will be completely new in the coming years. A Forrester prediction estimates automation will eliminate almost 20 million cubicle jobs by the end of this decade.
Speaking in St. Helier, Jersey in the Channel Islands, Egre says AI will also bring benefits like eliminating tedious repetitive tasks, handling routine jobs saving time and money. “A four day week in the future is very, very real,” she says.
It’s essential for HR to begin addressing the changes automation will make, says Egre, who heads client and product development at Marbral Advisory. Reskilling workers for the new jobs that AI will bring is where HR must begin. “You are going to be absolutely integral in upskilling your teams and taking them through this period of change.”
Laws will change. HR will have to incorporate them into handbooks and policies. How workers are trained is already changing, with virtual reality implemented in new programs. Tracking for performance will also be mediated by artificial intelligence.
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The changes AI is already making and the dramatic ones that are just on the horizon can be almost frightening, Egre acknowledges. “It’s OK to be a bit afraid of this. Because with fear we also get courage. So be courageous,” she encourages her audience. “Embrace AI and automation and make it work for yourselves, your businesses but most importantly, all your people.”
In partnership with DisruptHR, TLNT presents some of the best Disrupt presentations from events across North America and now the world. Disrupt talks are modeled on the TEDx concept: Short, to the point talks on all things HR — talent, culture and technology.
