Is it the end of the call centre as we know it?

As a service robot, Pepper was designed to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to engage in emotional interactions with customers. Here, Stephen Parker of business automation company, Parker Software, explains how AI is changing the role of robotics and automation in the workplace. Unlike manufacturing robots (the industrial machines we see on automated production lines and in manufacturing facilities) service robots require AI to operate in the real world and successfully perform tasks on request. Results from an Oxford University and Deloitte study stated that 35% of current jobs in the UK are at risk from automation - and that's not just in the manufacturing industry. For careers related to customer service, there's an even higher figure, with around 91% of jobs predicted to be lost to automation.