This has been the year of artificial intelligence (AI). From the buzz around workplace automation at this year's World Economic Forum to Stephen Hawking's recent discourse on the potential windfalls and risks of AI, the future of machine learning is on everyone's minds. My recent attendance at a Shared Services Forum event only confirmed the fact. You couldn't walk five steps without hearing someone discussing the role that robotics and AI will play in the future of HR. These advanced technologies have been in use for some time, but their application in the field of HR is still in its early days. There is really only one aspect of HR where robotics and AI have begun to make a real impact--shared services.