The software really takes the place of managers – CIO.nl

In the era of ‘the new economy’, say the digital stone age, everyone had the mouth full of avatars that small digital fantasy dolls. Always charming, well dressed and friendly laid avatars on their unique artificial way visitors from numerous websites out how a product works. They answered questions and lead visitors to other pages of online shops

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The vision was worded: it does not take long before we avatars replace all employees of the customer or at least everyone who appeals to customers via a website or hotline. The motto was that the process can also automatically, making it not only cheaper but also better.

Research ‘robots come

One hundred years later, at least emotionally, we see it phenomenon back again. The research department of Direct Bank, ING-DiBa, a German division of ING, headed by chief economist Carsten Brzeski presented a study entitled “The robots are coming.” In so doing, the bankers are concerned with the consequences of some form of automation for the German labor market

In conclusion:. 59 percent of permanent jobs in Germany directly or indirectly by the “advancing technology” threatened . And this threat is true according to the research not only for unskilled workers and jobs in services. The danger also climbs further and becomes so increasingly gekwalificeerdere work.

Robots in the Henn-after Hotel

The ING-DiBa proof is supplying the staff of the Japanese ‘ Henn-after hotel. In the newly opened hotel located at theme park Huis ten Bosch in Nagasaki, sit at the reception not professional polite young people, but even younger robots. They not only check the guest in three languages, but also bring the luggage to the room and take the cleaning on their behalf. Hardware avatars speak. Administrative tasks such as work in the hotel reception are threatened, according to the study, the most by the robot. Afterward you can follow secretarial work

In contrast, managers need is less to worry about:. “Higher key personnel such as academics in scientific and creative occupations is least affected by the automation,” said Carsten Brzeski and his colleague Inga Burg.

And: “This is only eleven or twelve percent of the professions for which a specialization or expertise is required.

Watson smarter than (some) people

But if one should go on Rüdiger Spies, software analyst at IT consulting firm PAC, then this group certainly did not feel too safe off. He has also dealt with the question of how and how fast certain jobs may be taken over by machines.

A huge momentum he sees in the so-called “cognitive computing”, the ability to complex problems by computers dissolve. Specifically Spies sees a lot of bread in the software systems of Watson, developed by IBM. Watson can provide answers to questions raised in spoken language. Already in 2011 Watson in a US television quiz show ‘Jeopardy’ a strong performance put by winning a regular participant.

The decisive difference when said Spies, is that such systems the day today fit a couple of pizza boxes and also have become more powerful 200 times. IBM uses this technique for the purpose of cancer research and therapy. Thus, in those areas where, on the basis of large amounts of data (relatively speaking) complex decisions to be taken.