eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
1Dell Survey Suggests How Automation, AI Will Change Workplaces by 2030
A digital-first future is coming. But not everyone is so sure it’ll be a good thing. That’s one of the major takeaways from a new survey of 3,800 business leaders conducted by Dell Technologies and the Institute for the Future (IFTF). The survey, which centered on the ways emerging technologies will shape how people live and work in 2030, examines the impact automation might have on the corporate world. It also discusses how artificial intelligence could change how people work and questions whether a “digital transformation” is something business leaders believe will actually improve their organizations. Read on to learn more survey respondents’ through about how new technologies will fundamentally change workplaces.
2Respondents Divided on Whether Automation Will Save Time
3Human-Robot Collaboration Coming Soon
It won’t take until 2030 for humans and robots to work together. The survey found 82 percent of respondents said that humans and machines will work collaboratively as “integrated teams” within the next five years. Moreover, 26 percent of business leaders say they’re already integrating humans and machines.
4Majority Says Automation to Have No Effect on Job Satisfaction
Looking ahead, 42 percent of business leaders believe that employees will achieve higher job satisfaction by being able to offload some of their tasks to machines. But that also suggests that 58 percent of business leaders believe machines will either have no effect on job satisfaction or cause it to decline.
5What Tasks Are Most Likely to Be Automated?
So, which tasks will ultimately be offloaded to machines by 2030? According to the survey, respondents believe inventory management and financial administration tasks, such as invoicing will be automated and no longer require humans. Troubleshooting efforts, delivery drivers, and administrators will also likely see their jobs disappear at the hands of automation. Caring for elderly and educating children were the least likely job functions to be offloaded to machines.
6Business Leaders Worry About Cyber-Security
For a true digital transformation to occur, overcoming security concerns will be critical. However, 51 percent of business leaders report that their companies have “ineffective security measures” in place to enable digital transformation. Nearly six in 10 respondents said that their workforce isn’t “sufficiently security savvy” to move forward with a digital transformation.
7How Companies Can Accelerate the Digital Transformation
To achieve a true digital transformation, companies will need to begin engaging in a variety of activities, according to business leaders. Nine in 10 say that companies need to get employees to “buy in” to digital transformation and 88 percent believe the “customer experience” will need to be a “boardroom concern” before it can happen. Furthermore, 85 percent of respondents believe companies need to tie compensation to digital goals, ensure the digital transformation is led by senior leaders, and institute policies that allow for a “fully remote, flexible workforce.”
8The Educational Process Will Need to Change
The changing digital landscape will prompt a major shift in education, most business leaders believe. In fact, 56 percent of business leaders say that schools will need to change their educational philosophies to teach students how to learn. That would serve students far more effectively, according to the business leaders, than preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist.
9The Jobs of the Future Haven’t Been Invented Yet
10Survey Identifies Some Near-Term Achievements
While 2030 might seem a long way off, companies will need to take several steps to achieve a true digital transformation. So, within the next five years, 94 percent of companies believe they’ll have the requisite cyber-security practices in place to allow for the transformation. Nine in 10 business leaders believe they’ll be offering their products as a service in five years and 80 percent of companies will have “hyper-connected customer experiences” that rely on virtual reality.
11Concern About the Future
While digital transformation might sound appealing, business leaders still have some significant concerns. Nearly six in 10 of them believe that technology will fail to connect people to the right tasks in the office. They also worry that computers will fail to see the difference between “good and bad commands.” Worst of all they fear that digitally transformed companies will have more to lose from the cyber-attacks of the future.