Human + Machine (Harvard Business Review Press)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how we work right now. Are you ready? In the past, robots were typically large pieces of machinery, sectioned off from human workers to perform precise, mechanical tasks on an assembly line. But now, bots and other AI technologies go far beyond this in augmenting human capabilities--not just robots on the factory floor of an auto plant, but algorithms in the back office of a healthcare insurer and chatbots interacting with retail customers. Unlike any softwaretool or service that's come before, artificial intelligence has the power to profoundly change the very nature of work itself--and this is happening in all kinds of enterprises and across all functions of the organization. There's a current and growing imperative: businesses that understand how to harness AI can surge ahead, while those who neglect it are in danger of being left behind. In Human + Machine, Accenture technology leaders H. James Wilson and Paul R. Daugherty vividly illustrate how AI is redefining work and the economy. At the core of this paradigm shift is the transformation of business processes--all the step-by-step tasks that take place within an organization, from operations to customer service to workers' own personal productivity habits. As humans and smart machines collaborate ever more closely, work processes become more fluid and adaptive, enabling companies to change them on the fly--or completely reimagine them.--