Artificial intelligence, robotics and automation: The best or the worst thing to ever happen to humanity?

As Professor Stephen Hawking said, we do not yet fully understand and cannot predict the true impact of AI, and yet the race to business and operational transformation via the implementation of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA), is on an inexorable rise.

And whilst there may be some debate as to the socio-economic impact of the rise of the machines and whether they will in time decimate the human race in a form of science fiction disaster movie, for the time being their use is slightly more prosaic. There is no doubt that AI and RPA are here to stay, and businesses, academic institutions and governments are being encouraged to develop their intelligence further, and so it is essential to look to the intelligent future and work to both facilitate innovation, allowing businesses to embrace technology and at the same time mitigate any associated risks. We examine some of the business opportunities and challenges faced, as well as providing our insight on how to manage these issues both in strategic sourcing programmes and in transformative, technology-enabled projects.