The boss machine is here — AI is all set to eliminate middle managment in 8 years

• The massive pace at which companies are adopting automation and artificial intelligence may lead to elimination of middle management roles over the next decade.
  
• Smart machines will soon become co-workers — changing the modus operandi of how employees work.
  
• According to Gartner, “People managers will focus on people-related activities that require intuition, empathy and interpersonal skills.”
  
• A recent McKinsey report also said that nearly half of the activities undertaken by the workers could be automated — including managing expertise.

A lot of offices have already replaced secretaries with virtual assistants. But in the future, employees may have to report to a virtual boss too. A report by Infosys and Gartner predicts that automation and AI might lead to elimination of middle management roles over the next decade.

“We will need fewer people managers as many of the management tasks such as collecting data, supervising actions and ensuring compliances will be completed by algorithm and robosses,” said a thought leadership report by Gartner.

This echoes a recent McKinsey report which said that nearly half of the activities undertaken by the workers could be automated — including managing expertise.

Algorithmic management will take over

Middle management roles which transition between actual teams and top management which creates strategies - is in charge of execution. AI-enabled systems which have the potential to grasp knowledge and adapt to it as they make decisions- can ensure execution in the future.

For example, if an AI is managing a sales team, it can distribute work, assign and ensure targets are met. All these tasks can be taken over by an intuitive AI. And since an AI manager can perform multiple tasks without fatigue that humans suffer, they will be able to bring in more efficiencies.

According to the Gartner report, these smart machines will soon become co-workers — changing the modus operandi of how employees work. In fact, technology will replace the human resource functionalities — acting as employees hired by the IT.

This will do away with the need of middle managers and accelerate ‘we working’ in autonomous teams across diversified roles.

“People managers will focus on people-related activities that require intuition, empathy and interpersonal skills,” the report said.

Inter-office communication

In a situation when human employees have to report to ‘boss machines’, they have to improve their digital skills not just to perform tasks but to communicate.

The report calls human and technology productivity a killer combo - where technology will not take away the jobs — but will become a co-worker. “From recruiting to performance reviews, departments of ‘robot resources’ will rival human resources” by 2028.

AI itself can replace nearly 400 million workers globally over the next decade. It means organizations would need workers that can work with AI.

According to a report by Great Learning, the number of AI jobs has outpaced the talent in the job market. As many as 2,500 AI job roles remain vacant even as companies adopt the technology.

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