The Australian: Co-Director of Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work Says Applying Systems of Intelligence Enhances Business Outcomes and Protects Jobs

“Businesses who haven’t fully embraced technologies such as artificial intelligence or data analytics not only do themselves a disservice by spending time on inefficient tasks or incorrectly allocating resources, but also risk not attracting the best talent—those at the top of their field only want to work where they have the tools to do great work,” writes Benjamin Pring, Co-Director at Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work and co-author of “What to Do When Machines Do Everything: How to Get Ahead in a World of AI, Algorithms, Bots, and Big Data”. Excerpts:

“When you have working professionals who use technology to help them, they will do a better job. This enhanced job capability is powered by algorithms, mobile technology, and automated features that allow work to be done faster and more accurately. As the business world occupies itself with talks of job losses due to automation, it neglects to acknowledge the positive effects of technology on jobs: that a job enhanced, not replaced by technology, will be a protected job in the new world order.

Enhanced jobs are about improving work, not replacing it. Underlying technologies that empower employees achieve a number of measures: they decrease inefficiencies, provide greater accuracies, and lead to greater productivity.

Creative thinking and cultural change are what will move your business forward, and people need time and freedom to focus on these tasks. Technology gives people the freedom to deprioritize tedious work to focus on big picture, creative thinking and customer service ― all hallmarks of an innovative company.

At commercial, societal and economic levels, understanding the power of digital tools and how they can enhance human performance will be the difference between a company of yesterday and a company of tomorrow.

Business leaders as well as employees need to face the challenge of enhanced jobs as a collective. This challenge involves company-wide upskilling initiatives.

Across industry sectors ― healthcare, financial services, education — the key to future success is finding a specific business process and applying a system of intelligence to work in a way that both enhances business outcomes and protects jobs. Any panic around job losses is largely unfounded, because ultimately an enhanced job is a protected job.”

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