Technology and advancements in healthcare are progressing rapidly. Only a decade ago, the typical procedure was that you went to the hospital, checked in, were added to a waitlist and waited to see a physician. Sometimes, you would sit and wait your turn for several hours.
As human beings, we have a penchant for machines doing our mundane tasks for us. The industrial age mass-produced the toaster, the electric kettle and the washing machine as prevalent “labor-saving” devices, and they eventually became part of our everyday life.
The progression to artificial intelligence (AI) makes sense in that context. Artificial intelligence — the latest buzzword in the business world — has already proven effective at automating repetitive tasks in sales and marketing, accounting, HR and more.
Long before the breakthrough of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA), managing communication with clients was a rather simple task. Contacts were made telephonically, concerned users called the helpline about small issues and posted a letter whenever more details were necessary. No other touchpoints were employed. Another major difference compared to today was the extended period it took to solve the task. In former times, it was solely dependent on the company to decide the time span. This went on until the Internet pushed its way through. Thanks to digitization, the power has shifted and now the clients have their say! Consequently, customer service procedures were turned upside-down and had to be rethought.
Around the world, there are numerous jobs that require human beings, be it for creative or consulting tasks, or issues requiring intuition and contemplation. In these cases, AI software can only be helpful by diagnosing circumstances and supporting human labor. Experts are in agreement that cognitive software will influence modern digitization in a similar way to how steam engines impacted industrialization. According to the IDC, more than half of all company software applications will be equipped with artificial intelligence in the course of 2018.
As far as intellectuality and cognition are concerned, so-called ‘knowledge workers’ play key roles in modern enterprises. For knowledge workers, contributing to a successful business by forming and implementing their concepts is often considered a lifelong task. As analysts have predicted an increasing skills shortage for years to come, companies are trying their best to counteract any adverse effects. The ‘war for talent’ entails new ways of finding and keeping the necessary talent for company plans.
Enterprises primarily look for simple and low-cost options to offer their clients online services that make use of conventional chatbots (also referred to as ‘virtual assistants’). Instead of saving, in most cases, the expenses rise as the chatbots initially have to be ‘trained’ via so-called ‘dialog scripts’ in order to be put into operation. Those scripts have to be programmed manually! In addition, it is proven that traditional chatbots neither prevent further inquiries nor do they achieve favorable customer experiences. Rather, there is a high possibility of doing oneself a disservice by using chat robots. In light of smart speech assistance, such as SIRI or CORTANA, growing skepticism about their sustainability is valid.
Comprehensive ‘Information of Everything’ is about all imaginable IT-related issues, from self-learning software, discrete agents and automated objects to innovative apps and services, furthermore providing a platform for the Internet of Things. Gartner’s riveting predictions and analyses for the current year’s end include a future digital world based on Artificial Intelligence algorithms and smart machines that are able to facilitate a ‘harmonious relation’ between businesses and their clients.
Millennials are often labeled as being less social than preceding generations because they use smartphones and tablets sometimes more often than they physically interact with people. For them, however, these devices are not a boundary to communication, but rather a portal that allows them to establish relationships and achieve goals across a vast geographical space.
