I, Robot could soon become We, Robot in the workplace.
GAI Insights estimates that more than 70% of knowledge workers, accompanied by a robot, will routinely use AI in their daily tasks by 2026.
The rise of the robot in the AI Age “heralds a new era that demands a radically different approach to talent management,” said Paul Baier, principal analyst and chief executive at GAI Insights, who authored the study. “Companies must adapt swiftly or risk being left behind.”
In fact, the future is already happening, Baier contends.
Employee AI robots are becoming indispensable for knowledge workers because they are up to 40% more productive in performing tasks, he said. For example, AI transcription services such as Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai and Fathom are commonplace in virtual meetings, providing real-time transcription and note-taking capabilities. Baier pointed out he recently attended a Zoom meeting with 60 humans and 15 robots (AI-based meeting note-takers).
Two other examples stand out: OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode lets users interact conversationally with AI, and Meta Platforms Inc.’s AI-enabled glasses, known as Orion, signal a future where AI seamlessly integrates into daily professional lives, recording and interacting tasks during the workday.
Of course, the proliferation of AI robots raises the risk for data breaches. One venture capital firm failed to manage an employee’s AI transcription tool during a confidential startup pitch. The AI robot transcribed the meeting, including sensitive discussions after the startup team left, and inadvertently emailed the transcript to unintended recipients. The incident underscores the critical need for stringent controls over employee AI robots to prevent data leakage, according to Baier.
Then again, an overcautious approach to AI is equally treacherous.
Assuming a so-called “slow follower” or “no follower” approach to AI robot integration puts companies at a competitive disadvantage in terms of efficiency and innovation, Baier added.
Working with a bot seems inevitable, but the level of adoption varies from industry to industry, tech experts say.
“My sense is that while the stat [70% of AI-assisted workers] essentially may be correct, the frequency and tasks for which generative AI will be used will vary greatly by industry and company,” Keith Kirkpatrick, research director of enterprise applications at The Futurum Group, said in an email. “The growing availability of agents, which are able to carry out very specific tasks without explicit instructions, are the key to reaching these engagement projections. Heavily regulated industries likely will take a more cautious approach to using generative AI, compared with other verticals.”
For robotics to imbue with the knowledge worker, user behavior of voice is essential, says Katie McMahon, executive director at BIML and an adviser to tech start-ups. And the first signs of the AI worker sidekick is the omnipresent AI Assistant, she added.
“Take Meta Ray Ban form factor and the ease-of-use voice-interfacing,” McMahon said. “If you want to call the glasses a ‘robot’ then it has arrived: Augmented Intelligence embodied in hardware that is, effectively, ‘part of us.'”
While “robots-as-embodied-for-the-
