Tech specialist Magma Digital believes AI will actually help workers in the future rather than threaten jobs.

Magma Digital, a bespoke software developer that works for some of the UK’s biggest blue-chip firms, predicts the growing AI tech will help jobs become less task-based, freeing up staff to work more efficiently and focus on more significant big picture ideas and decisions.

Priscilla Coates, director at Magma Digital said, “We really need to start thinking less about AI being a threat to jobs and more about how it’s going to help people in their roles.

“The technology isn’t there to replace the higher cognitive tasks that we as humans perform, but it is at a place where it can remove some of the less interesting and transactional elements of a role. 

“For staff, this means AI has the potential to make jobs less boring! Freeing up staff from repetitive tasks to focus on more cognitive intense elements of jobs, things that require more strategic thinking, creativity or emotional intelligence.”

According to Magma Digital, AI is still little understood by companies, both in how it can be used and the opportunity it presents to help boost the productivity of staff and the business as a whole.

Priscilla said, “AI presents a great opportunity for businesses, but it’s not a one size fits all. 

“Businesses need to work with specialists and consultants to understand whether firstly they need AI and how it can be tailored to the services they perform. Also, how it can support the staff in the tasks they deliver. 

“What we are talking about really, is thinking how processes and job roles can be redesigned to take advantage of AI and use it to its maximum potential.”

According to Magma, now and in the short to medium term, we are likely to see more and more mixing of resources within an organisation, with AI and humans working together.

For example, AI and robotics replacing things like dangerous tasks in manufacturing, or AI being used to analyse big data to provide insights which staff can then use to understand the best strategies to implement.

AI will also play a role in HR, engaging and managing staff, carrying out things like employee appraisals, supporting team members in remote working through new VR and AR tech, and supporting staff to improve their own workplace health, through tech like health tracking etc.

Priscilla added, “I think we need to move away from demonising AI as a job stealer and looking realistically about how it can help to both improve workplace efficiency, culture and directly benefit staff.”