AI is now powerful enough to automate the back office

This article originally appeared in issue 28 of IT Pro 20/20, available here. The business world is fascinated with artificial intelligence (AI), with most of the excitement centred around customer-facing services. The technologies used to make a Tesla stop or embedded in the soothing voice of your virtual assistant have grabbed most of the headlines, but what about AI's role in supporting relatively unglamorous back-office functions? According to industry figures, the use of AI in supporting the HR, IT, legal and financial departments within organisations is not only well underway but maturing. In the last few years, these automations have become increasingly widespread, with some organisations now assessing whether it's viable to automate vast swathes of the business.