Accenture predicts AI's human-like evolution, impacting 44% of US working hours, fostering new roles and emphasizing human oversight. (IT World Canada)
In its recently unveiled 2024 Technology Vision report titled "Human by Design," global professional services firm Accenture predicts a significant evolution in the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing a future where AI becomes more human-like and user-friendly. The report suggests that generative AI, a form of AI that creates content, has the potential to impact 44% of total working hours across various industries in the United States. This, in turn, could lead to productivity improvements across 900 different job types.
Accenture's emphasis on the amplification of working hours, rather than specific job roles, underscores the belief that AI will positively influence individuals in every position, enabling them to perform tasks more efficiently and potentially at higher skill levels. Adam Burden, Accenture's Global Lead for Innovation, explained that the company carefully chose the term "working hours" to convey the broad impact AI could have on various roles, fostering improved efficiency, quality, and speed in tasks.
After a period of substantial layoffs, Accenture made a strategic move by investing $3 billion in AI last summer and announced plans to double its AI workforce to 80,000 within the next three years. Despite acknowledging a transitional phase, Accenture remains optimistic about the emergence of new roles that will contribute to increased profitability and productivity for companies.
Burden emphasized the responsibility of companies to facilitate the transition of employees through these changes. He highlighted the importance of developing AI-related skills within the existing workforce, as hiring from the current talent pool is not a feasible option. According to Michael Blitz, Managing Director of Accenture Technology Vision, the focus should not solely be on building the next product but on efficiently transitioning people to utilize AI in beneficial ways.
Accenture recognizes the necessity for human oversight at all levels of AI implementation. Burden and Blitz emphasized that organizations incorporating controls to involve humans in decision-making processes will likely achieve greater success, fostering confidence in AI within the market.
The report offers additional insights, indicating a transformation in the organization of data to facilitate human-like reasoning and creativity. Users are expected to receive curated, personalized responses in various forms, such as advice, summarizations, essays, images, or even art, eliminating the need to sift through extensive search engine results.
Furthermore, the report envisions AI-empowered agents functioning on behalf of individuals within an interconnected ecosystem, capable of assisting, advising, and taking decisive actions in both physical and digital realms. The emergence of new immersive worlds, facilitated by spatial computing, metaverse, digital twins, and AR/VR technologies, is also anticipated for personal interactions.
Accenture anticipates the integration of AI-powered wearables, brain-sensing neurotech, and eye/movement tracking to gain a deeper understanding of individuals, their lives, and intentions. This integration aims to enhance the overall quality of work and life by leveraging AI to provide valuable insights into human behaviour.
