‘AI will end all jobs & human work will be optional’ (Musk 2023).
AI and the existential threat to humanity that it may or may not be suddenly seems to be making the headlines, and it makes for curious conjecture.
I’ve read long term visions of this future ranging from a kind of semi-paradise state where humans are redundant but supported by a state reaping the benefits of robot labour, to apocalyptic Terminator type visions where the machines take over their own technological developments and then rationally conclude that the planet will be better off without humans.
Either way it is clear that we are entering a new age and we will start to see the pace of change quicken within industry, services and society over the coming years.
So much to speculate about here but as a recruiter in the fenestration and window & door trade counter sector it has made me wonder how it might affect the sector in the short to medium term?
So if you think about it…
Can the fabrication process be automated with robotics, similar to the car production industry?
How will it affect sales development and account management / relationship building between supplier to customer - automated intelligent and responsive AI communication via email & telephone?
…and AI to human or AI to AI purchasers?
Could Customer service and SOP be done by AI?
Could AI as it develops write your business strategy and set performance targets?
Trade counters USP’s are the human to human local relationships that are convenient and offer friendly advice, a human connection and a responsibility to ensure the service delivery is spot on. In the short term though will this evolve into more online ordering and click and collect only depots with fewer employees working there as a cost saving?
And in the long term with that be replaced with online ordering and site delivery by automated vehicles?
Business as we know it for another 25 years or is there change coming and the next generation will experience a very different looking sector?