As we are propelled into an even-more digital age, companies and employees are both asking: To what degree will AI replace human intelligence and make jobs obsolete? In the inevitable future of AI, what is the outlook for human employees? Neil Jensen, Vice President, Product Strategy, Workday, identifies trends in areas like the future of work. I asked Jensen to share with us the trends he's seeing in the future-of-work space. John Winsor: What is the future of work as you see it?

The future of retail continues looking grim, as more brick and mortar stores close their doors. US retailers have announced 8,558 store closures so far this year, with total US store closures predicted to hit 12,000 by the end of 2019, reported Coresight Research on Friday. While the internet and automation are typically to blame for these closures, the same technology could actually be the solution for physical store locations, said Paul Winsor, general manager of retail at DataRobot. "If retailers want to stay open in the existing stores that they are operating in, my recommendation to them is to ask: Are they understanding the changing habits of those customers, and how they're shopping with them, in those locations?" "To survive in the tough, tough retail market, you have to start to turn your business, and make predictions, based on learning from your historical data," he added.

Artificial intelligence is making big strides in self-service retailing. That much was evident at the recent CES show in Las Vegas, which showcased numerous applications to enable brands to stay relevant as e-commerce continues to grab more of the retail market. One of the most impressive exhibits using AI was a glassfront merchandiser called Vicki, from ViaTouch Media, that lets shoppers take products from a shelf and examine them before making a purchase. When the product is removed from the shelf, a video screen above the door plays content related to that particular product. The customer also can ask questions and get answers about products in the machine from Vicki, thanks to the machine's audio technology.