By Betsy Burton
Are You Prepared to Manage Your Digital Labor Force?
This week I have the opportunity to present at Aragon Research’s Transform Tour 2023 about how organizations need to manage digital labor. If you miss this presentation live, I encourage you to watch it on-demand here.
The rise of digital labor is something organizations are increasingly going to need to deal with as AI becomes embedded into our applications, systems, and solutions.
It refers to AI-enabled computer applications that are used to perform goal-driven tasks that had previously or could be otherwise performed in part or in full by humans.
Digital labor may emerge as logical entities; embedded in software applications and systems (e.g., chatbots, digital assistants/advisors). It may also take a physical form, such as robotics or automotives.
How Is Digital Labor Different From Managing Traditional IT?
Like all IT systems digital labor runs on some type of hardware. That hardware could be a large supercomputer, in a cloud, a PC/tablet, mobile or wearable device and a self-moving system (e.g., a robot, car etc.).
However, the software can learn based on models and algorithms how to respond to different interactions (human or digital) based on information collected from experiences (model-driven interactions) and analysis (information analytics).
This means that the responses are often more dynamic and less predictable than traditional IT systems.
In addition, it must be trained to support your business practices, information, brand, and culture. Like a new employee, digital labor must be trained on your organization’s information, business and customer/product information.
Also, AI models enable digital labor to be goal and task oriented rather than process and procedure oriented. A well-trained system can be given an end-goal or end-task to complete without being provided the step-by-step process for completing the task.
This system may follow a process at first, but over time it learns how to accomplish a task, even navigating different obstacles, finding new solutions and developing innovations.
Define Training, Governance, Roles and Responsibilities
All of this means that digital labor requires some disciplines that are more common with managing human labor than managing traditional IT systems.
For example, AI-enabled technologies, learn from training, interactions and engagements. Digital labor, like new human employees, comes with some previous experiences, skills, knowledge, and ideas (e.g. databases and connections).
However, just as we need to train and educate new employees in our human labor, it needs equal investment to become effective.
Organizations must apply similar roles and competencies to digital labor as they do with human labor. This ensures we are putting it in a role where it can be successful, and that everyone (humans and digital labor) has a clear understanding of what is required of it.
Organizations must define the same type of role, competency, tasks and governance requirements for digital labor – similar to what we do for human labor.
Bottom Line
Digital Labor is developing and being adopted faster than you might have thought. Determine your strategy, governance, metrics, and operations, now.
End-users: Don’t just adopt and deploy digital labor products. Understand the risks and opportunities, and make sure that management and users understand how to effectively support it.
Technology Providers: Don’t just add AI or Digital Labor capabilities to your products without a specific strategy, target business opportunity and target buyers; otherwise, risk just fueling market noise.
Make Informed Technology Purchasing Decisions:
Aragon Research’s 2023 Technology Arcs
Aragon Research’s 2023 Technology Arc
Aragon’s CEO and Lead Analyst, Jim Lundy introduces Aragon Research’s 2023 Technology Arc.
This webinar focuses on emerging technologies that organizations should consider when developing, deploying, and evolving the digital workplace, digital business, and digital operations. It includes technologies, technology-enabled business disciplines, and technology-driven trends.
Jim will answer:
- How does Aragon Research determine the technologies to highlight in this Tech Arc?
- What are the major trends emerging from this 2023 Tech Arc?
- How do organizations use this Tech Arc to make investment decisions?
