The week's developments on automation & the workplace, explained | 29.04.24

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With over 750,000 robots installed in its facilities as of last year, Amazon is investing heavily in developing and deploying more advanced robotic systems. But beyond simply augmenting workers’ capabilities, many of these robots are now assuming tasks once performed by humans, such as packing, sorting, and labelling. This begs the question: Are we witnessing the dawn of a new era of automation? We cover this below.

Elsewhere, we take a look at how AI is helping solve Japan's labour shortage crisis, eliminating annoying work meetings and even transforming how HR teams operate within a company. Discover these stories and more below — including our productivity boosters, designed to help you thrive in the AI-driven workplace.

Find these stories and more below — including our productivity booster to help you excel in the AI-driven workplace.

— Charlie and the Research and Intelligence team

Ps. CogX Transatlantic Accelerator Early Bird offer ends TODAY: If you are or know a UK startup they can apply for over $20k worth of support to attend, exhibit and network at CogX Festival in LA on 7th May here

CogX Must Reads

Top Stories

🤖 Will Amazon's robotic revolution spark a new wave of job losses? With hundreds of millions of pounds being poured into developing more AI-driven machines, Amazon claims these technologies will enhance rather than replace workers. Experts, however, remain dubious.

🇯🇵 Can AI help solve Japan’s labour shortages? As Japan grapples with a shrinking population and severe labour shortages, many are turning to AI as a potential solution. From food manufacturing to farming, education, and even government administration, AI is being employed to increase efficiency and productivity in various sectors.

🦾 Do AI tools pose a significant insider threat to organisations? A recent survey, conducted by independent polling agency Censuswide, has revealed that one in five organisations have had company data exposed by employees using AI tools. Over 20% of respondents also identified AI as their biggest cybersecurity threat.

Future of the Office

👨🏻‍💻 AI won't eliminate meetings – it might actually make them better. AI is prompting companies to rethink their meetings for efficiency and focus, leading to less wasted time and more productive discussions.

🔐 Remote work is the new normal for many, but it comes with data security risks. Laptops in coffee shops and weak passwords can expose sensitive information. To keep your company data safe, experts suggest using VPNs, enforcing strong passwords and securing your devices with encryption.

AI & Automation

🦾  Will AI kill off most call centres? Tata Consultancy Services CEO K Krithivasan predicts a big shakeup for call centres. He believes advanced AI chatbots will soon handle most customer service inquiries, significantly reducing the need for human agents.

💼 US workers embracing AI. Nearly half already use AI tools like ChatGPT, and almost all are interested in learning more AI skills.  However, there's a catch: younger workers are already feeling the pinch, with 43% saying they've lost a job to AI.

👨🏻‍💻 AI will radically transform the workplace — but how can HR Teams prepare for It? Beyond traditional functions like recruiting and talent management, HR is taking on a central role in leading the ethical and innovative integration of AI across organisations.

Productivity Boosters

 Check out this week's top AI tools to supercharge your productivity

	Cassidy empowers businesses with AI-driven task automation, creating intelligent assistants and workflows that integrate with existing tools and data sources to enhance efficiency and performance.   Key Features: AI-powered business task automation platform integrates with existing tools and data sources. Creates intelligent assistants and workflows Tailored to specific business needs.                                             Pricing Model: Freemium
	DocsHound streamlines documentation processes in the AI era with a modular editing system, instant no-code publishing, and on-brand styling options, empowering teams to create and maintain manuals efficiently.   Key Features: Knowledge base software for the AI era Designed for product managers, founders, engineers, writers, and customer success teams Streamlines documentation processes                                                      Pricing Model: Paid
	Prompt Mixer is an AI Development Studio that empowers teams to efficiently create, test, and evaluate AI solutions through prompt management, dataset integration, and advanced evaluation metrics.   Key Features: Versatile AI Development Studio Designed for companies and teams Workspace for managers, engineers, and data specialists.                                             Pricing Model: Freemium

In case you missed it

Wondering how AI will impact your business?  Watch Workday's co-president Sayan Chakraborty as he explores how leaders can use AI and machine learning for smarter decisions.

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