52% CEOs exploring benefits of humans and machines working together: report

Here’s some good news for employees worried about losing their jobs to robots and automation. Fifty-two percent of CEOs say they’re exploring the benefits of humans and machines working together, according to the global talent findings of global accounting and consulting firm PwC’s 20th CEO Survey.

As automation puts several jobs at risk, companies are already strategising hard to get the right mix of people and machines in the workplace.

The report also highlights that 39% of CEOs are considering the impact of artificial intelligence on future skill needs.

According to the survey, 78% of CEOs are actively taking steps to improve their access to talent and attract the people they need by changing their people strategy to reflect the skills and employment structure they need for the future. Seventy-seven percent of CEOs say they see the availability of key skills as the biggest business threat.

“As digitisation and artificial intelligence take deeper root in the workplace, companies in India will have to increasingly focus on achieving the right cognitive re-apportionment between man and machine. In order to successfully navigate this changing workplace model, we will need strong leaders who can make sense of ambiguity, maintain trust with employees and put in place the right culture and values,” said Padmaja Alaganandan, people and organisation leader, PwC India in the statement.

PwC interviewed 1,379 CEOs in 79 countries for the survey.

Success in an automated world will mean people and machines working together, rather than one replacing the other. The relentless march of automation will transform the role people play at work. Different skills will be needed, roles will disappear and others will evolve. Some organisations will need fewer people, but others will need more. We will see a rebalancing of human capital as organisations adjust, the company’s release stated.