Robots Took My Job

Robots Took My Job

(Case Study Assessment 3)

Subject : Information Systems Applications in Business

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Total Marks: 35

Have you ever seen the movie The Terminator in which machines take over the world? Do you think that scenario could ever come true? Researching the Internet of Things makes you wonder if robots can gain self-consciousness, making the possibility of them taking over the earth a reality. If these are your thoughts, you are not alone. Many prominent people in the field of science and technology are debating this hot topic.

The primitive forms of artificial intelligence we already have, have proved very useful. But I think the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race, the late British physicist Stephen Hawking told the BBC. Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it would take off on its own and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate. According to Hawking, the robots may take over the planet if artificial intelligence research is not done properly. The debate on artificial intelligence has two sides: (1) in agreement with Hawking, stating artificial intelligence will overtake human intelligence; and (2) in disagreement with Hawking, stating that true AIloosely defined as a machine that can pass itself off as a human being or think creativelyis at best decades away. The one truth about AI that is occurring today is that robots are taking over jobs in the workplace. Years ago, the horse was displaced by the automobile. In todays workplace, human labour is being displaced by robots. Oxford University researchers have estimated that 47 percent of U.S. jobs could be automated within the next two decades. But which ones will robots take first? According to Shelly Palmer, CEO of The Palmer Group, the following are the first five jobs robots are replacing, along with the last five jobs robots will replace. (See figures 1 and 2.)

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Figure 1: The First Five Jobs Robots Will Replace

Figure 2: The Last Five Jobs Robots Will Replace

Answer the following questions:

What are the robots that exist today and what are their capabilities? (300 600 words, 3 marks)

Define the three primary types of decision-making systems and how robots in the workplace could affect each. (300 600 words, 4 marks)

Describe the difference between transactional and analytical information, and determine how robots could improve the process for gathering and manipulating each type for a grocery store such as Safeway. (300 600 words, 4 marks)

Illustrate the business process model used by a robot to perform an analysis on a patient with a cold. (100 300 words, 3 marks)

Explain business process reengineering and how robots might dramatically change the current sales process. (300 600 words, 4 marks)

Formulate different metrics that a personal trainer robot for a fitness club could provide a customer. (100 300 words, 3 marks)

Argue for or against the following statement: Robots are better than humans in all business capacities. (300 600 words, 4 marks)