ThinkTWENTY20

The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently released their 2019 list of Ten Emerging Technologies. Most of them have some business implications of one kind or another. However, two of them stood out: Social Robots and Collaborative Presence.

Robots have become a regular part of business’ production lines and various routine tasks. However, social robots take it a step further, by using, thanks to artificial intelligence “algorithms that allow robots to recognize voices, faces and emotions, interpret speech and gestures, respond appropriately to complex verbal and non-verbal cues, make eye contact, speak conversationally, and adapt to people’s needs by learning from feedback.”

The role for such robots in business will be phemonenal.

Collaborative presence is predicted to make physical location irrelevant. We already have some of this, with such tools as texting, Skype and a host of other meeting apps. However, the prediction is that the new generation of online meeting applications will be so good that they will pick up all the elements of social interaction, including emotions and even touch. People will feel exactly as though the meeting is taking place in person.

There are shortcomings in the current applications, but these are likely to be overcome with the new apps, which will make them very popular indeed.