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The Inquiry: Will computers put managers out of work?

Will computers put managers out of work?

10/11/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - The Inquiry, Will computers put managers out of work?

Could office managers be replaced by the kind of slick AI software behind online shopping?

Online shopping and delivery is often run by Artificial Intelligence. But will these powerful systems gradually move into all workplaces, making managers obsolete?

When we shop online, we don’t often think about what goes on behind the scenes. Clicking “pay now”, sets in motion a slick, computer-controlled chain of events, that ends with a parcel arriving at your home. 

These online shopping logistics are run by Artificial Intelligence, and there are plans for these systems to move from the warehouse to the wider workplace.   

“Digital Management” systems in development are able to autonomously hire people and oversee their work on a project from beginning to end. They also have the ability to manage much larger groups of workers than their human counterparts. 

But can a software boss really understand its human employees? Are managers obsolete? And are some of these systems already here?  

This week on the Inquiry, we ask: will computers put managers out of work? 

Presented by David Baker 
Produced by Jim Frank 
Editor: Richard Vadon 
Technical producer: Neil Churchill 
Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson


(Image: Artificial intelligence is showing the path: exdez/Getty)

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