One could argue if employers, employees, families, and friends are better off by being exposed to automation today vs. doing everything manually. However, in various sectors today within fitness, health, safety, education, and energy, results are showing the benefits from artificial intelligence (AI) and automation effectively. In the classroom, there are robots named Milo and NAO to help young children with learning disabilities add value and to make life easier for children to learn through customized, educational solutions. The only thing lacking, however, is the emotional element which definitely cannot be replaced.

Automation is continuing to impact our everyday lives and the job market, as we have seen in automobiles with the new invention of driverless cars being tested, and in the manufacturing industry with data warehouse automation of business intelligence and analytics. Smart technologies and their application will have more of an effect on the employee's career development and these skills will transfer into their own living rooms. Yet, there is still a lot of work and public awareness which needs to surface for those in rural areas with less opportunities. Therefore, educational training should be an on-going experience to transform one's way of working and thinking toward the future of automation.

Agility, purpose, safety, and sustainability are the drivers of the future. Robots will end up complementing the individual's efforts by taking over repetitive tasks. Individuals will have the opportunity to free up their time and apply their skill-set more effectively, creatively, and in expert fashion. Once we collaborate and embrace artificial intelligence, we will be on the road to a higher and more productive workplace and work/balance.

Now let's hone in on robotics in the workplace and see what may be in store for us within the next few years. There could be a role for a Chief Robotics Officer to define specific robotic functions down the road. There will be a competitive landscape as organizations will have a greater choice of vendors as new players to enter a predicted $80B information and communications technology market to support robotics deployment. New concerns will arise as robots will depend on cloud-based software to define new skills, cognitive capabilities, application programs, leading to the formation of a robotics cloud marketplace. There will be an emphasis on "collaborative" robots as smarter and three times faster than humans today. As a result of this collaboration, a RoboNet of shared intelligence will be created for operational efficiency. Nevertheless, robotics will be subject to government regulations to preserve jobs and to address concerns about security, safety, and privacy.

It is most important for companies to look at the big picture and to preview how these robotics will interact globally as each country takes a look at their competitive-edge in the marketplace.

We are looking forward to our first search for a Chief Robotics Officer (CRO).

What are your thoughts on the future of robotics, smart technology, drones, and the like?