In one of the sessions where I was explaining automation and the benefits it can bring to enterprises, I was asked an interesting question, “Considering all the hard & soft benefits which you mentioned, any CXO would be trying to get the bots into their environment, is my job SAFE? Or will I shown a pink slip in near future? What should I do?”
This question made me realize that though at the top level - automation, RPA & Artificial Intelligence - is gaining traction & creating buzz for innumerable reasons: cost optimization, improving process efficiencies & enhancing user experience; at the ground level, the level at which probably L0/L1 works, certain basics are missing resulting in fear in the minds of employees.
In this post, I shall share my two cents on effect of automation & job security at different levels in an enterprise & in the next post (the 2/2), what should a common person do.
As mentioned, for the job security part, I shall try to analyze the situation from three perspectives: from a person in a nine to five computer job, a person from a mid-management level & then from a person in a senior management level job.
Case 1: Nine to five computer jobs
A typical automation (RPA) process works in bottom-to-top manner. It starts with analyzing what normal people do on the ground in a job, and then removes their intervention, step-by-step. It annuls any manual tasks which are either SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) driven or have a standard way of execution. Adding to this notion is that we have many players in the industry which have built bots that can automate standard routine tasks. So, if you feel that you fall under this category, then maybe you should start thinking on adding more knowledge flavors to your job to be safe.
Case 2: Mid Management Level
At mid management level, people perform certain knowledge work which required understanding language, serial decision making, tasks execution based upon that decisions etc.
Though not completely, AI is the disruption at this level. Here, the same players have tried to build data models and search algorithms to enable machines to perform less challenging cognitive work. But, as of today, many tasks which executives perform will get automated.
Case 3: Senior Management Level
The day-to-day tasks defined at this level are highly obscure, which requires analyzing a lot of conditions, contexts, situations, risks & many other unforeseeable parameters. Given the complexity of decision making and impact these decisions have, the amount of jobs encroachment by automation (RPA) & AI, at this level, as of today, is minimal or negligible.
So, for the people falling under case 1 & 2, the situation may seems dire. And that’s logical as well. But from an economy perspective, if we don’t create jobs at the same pace as encroached by automation, the number of jobless people will grow, and the social & psychological repercussions of unemployed population will be dire!
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