Cognitive automation: A new era of knowledge work?

There have been a number of breakthroughs in artificial intelligence since the beginning of the 21st century with machines now outperforming humans in cognitive tasks such as object detection, face recognition, language translation, and complex decision strategies. Computational advances enable machines to process and analyse information at a scale far beyond human capabilities and has led to a rise in demand for intelligent process automation (IPA) services. This article considers the potential for cognitive algorithms to disrupt knowledge work in the modern workplace. Benefits include augmenting and accelerating the intelligence-decision-action cycle that is central to knowledge work. However, there are also risks from becoming over-reliant on algorithms in ambiguous and uncertain real-world situations. The value from next-generation knowledge systems will come from bridging human and artificial intelligence for insights and innovation.