A robot as colleague?

How about saying hello to a new colleague who takes no leave, works round-the-clock and delivers quality within deadlines cause it's a humanoid robot?

As workplaces transform, so do employees. And robots are bound to take up some roles. Experts say it's time right to stop pondering over any job losses triggered by technological changes and start focusing on the numerous positives it can bring.

According to data from the World Economic Forum (WEF), about 133 million jobs will be generated globally over the next 10 years with assistance from technological advances as compared to the 75 million that could be displaced.

It's best to avoid cribbing and to embrace the robots, says Aditya Narayan Mishra, director and CEO, CIEL HR. "Humans and robots have started co-existing. Manufacturing, construction and mining will be the first ones where robots will be seen. Robots will also be a reality in service industries like supply chain, healthcare, retail and hospitality."

The Boston Consulting Group predicts that in the next few years, 25% of labour tasks will be performed by robots.

Multinational companies in manufacturing and hospitality have already adopted robots. Hilton, Shangri-La, Aloft, Crowne Plaza - all have robots as concierges, taking care of guest requirements pertaining to travel, reservations and making recommendations. Adidas last year opened a robotic manufacturing plant in Germany, which will bring down production and shipping time and costs.

But India is way behind. Estimates by the International Federation of Robotics show that in manufacturing industries India has only 3 robots per 10,000 human employees as compared to the global average of 74. Experts feel robots will greatly transform the workplaces by benefiting both employees and employers in multiple ways.

"Human skills will come in handy to handle two sets of jobs – maintenance of robots and innovation. Common sense, creativity and practicality will be something that humans are capable of," says Umasanker Kandaswamy, chief operating officer and joint director, Bruhat Insights Global, a venture focused around artificial intelligence (AI) in HR.

While the initial capital costs of installing robots are high, the overall running costs are low, says Nishith Upadhyaya, head of advisory services, SHRM India. "With robots, there are no restrictions on working hours, leave, overtime pay, etc, and all the other issues that typically come with human employees."

Experts believe robots can be effectively deployed for heavy machinery and hazardous jobs. Robots do not feel stressed out or overworked. Hence employers can save up on all kinds of employee engagement activities and related costs. Also, as robots are designed to work with precision and control, they deliver quality, can perform repetitive tasks with ease and thus enhance efficiency and output for the employer.

But despite the multitude of employer benefits that robots bring, can human employees be encouraged to work in tandem with robots? Experts cite a recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study which revealed that people prefer taking orders from a robot.

According to Prof Debashish Chatterjee, director, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, it is necessary for employers to deepen the understanding of their employees on the kind of tasks that robots can and cannot perform, "in order to avoid any dissonance."

Upadhyaya says employees should be trained to understand developments in AI and technology. "They should continue learning about technological advancements and understand what AI can and cannot do. They should be trained in skills that robots cannot undertake, such as soft skills."

Agrees Mishra, who says employees should be made comfortable to let go of certain manual and repetitive tasks. "We will witness robots and bots performing regular tasks such as driving, keeping track of finances, paying bills. Humans will take the emergence of robots in their stride."

Upadhyaya, says, "We have already started taking orders from robots, perhaps without even realising. When the food delivery boy decides where to head on his route, he takes orders from his app, which is nothing but an algorithm-driven logical robot. In such scenarios, both the robot and human learn to interact with one another. In an organisation, if the interests of both employees and robots are aligned, it can lead to productive behaviours."

Nos:

• 133 mn - Jobs will be generated globally over the next 10 years with assistance from technological advances as compared to the 75 million that could be displaced
• 3 - Robots per 10,000 human employees India has in manufacturing industries
• 74 - The global average