The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the importance of technology in the workplace, with more businesses turning to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual reality can save money and reduce in-person contact. These technologies at the workplace can be useful for hiring, training, and evaluating employees, as well as for fostering meaningful contacts during times of isolation. Employers must, however, verify that their use of technology does not violate labor and employment rules. “It’s vital for HR firms and recruiters to know the details of the technology they’re using if it’s making decisions on their behalf,” said Marc Goldberg, research director of SHRM in Alexandria, Va. He was appearing as part of a virtual panel discussion at the American Bar Association’s 14th Annual Labor and Employment Law Convention. Following are the technology used in the workplace:

Artificial Intelligence

Goldberg likened artificial intelligence (AI) to the guy behind the curtain in “The Man Behind the Curtain.” “The Wizard of Oz is a feature that was published in 1939.”Many people are familiar with AI thanks to virtual assistants like Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri on their smartphones “This technology allows us to have those forms of interaction that give us the perception that the computer is justification and make judgments when in actuality it’s using what quantities to a dictionary or encyclopedia to give us some very clever information from the respondents that we pose to it,” he clarified.” Information systems for personnel management, legal support networks, and marketing skills are all using AI in the workplace to assist firms to engage with employees and future clients. Goldberg explained, “These are complex and subtle systems.” They may help features make better hiring decisions and manage employees’ performance throughout their careers.

Brown believes that AI will be the most transformative technology of the contemporary period, given how technology is already affecting the workplace. AI consumes samples and finds out the rules on its own, as opposed to traditional computers that follow a set of pre-programmed rules. It may assist firms in developing new goods, experiences, markets, and business models, as well as improving employee satisfaction and streamlining operations.

Machine Learning

“The use and application of digital allow the efficiency of and development without standard authorities, by utilizing algorithms and statistical models to evaluate and make conclusions from patterns in data,” as per dictionary.com. During the conversation, Adam Forman, a corporate attorney with Epstein Becker Green in Chicago and Detroit, stressed that machine learning is the process by which a machine learns to think for itself. Chatbots, for example, enable natural communication to respond to questions. Employees, for example, can ask a chatbot how much time they have remaining in their PTO bank. Chatbots can be used to conduct preliminary interviews, arrange interviews, mail new hire paperwork, and assist with the induction program. Legal guidance, according to Forman, can assist organizations planning to use these items.

5G and satellite constellation networks

The internet is used by little over half of all adults in the world. However, by the end of the decade, 5G will be available in every metropolis, with satellites serving rural areas, connecting everyone everywhere, according to Brown. From a business sense, it expands markets by bringing previously unreachable people online. “We’re seeking for remote employees,” Brown said, adding that “this is a critical technology for the latest influx of connected objects.” As the next 4 billion people, gain access to the internet, businesses must determine how they will communicate with them.”

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is a type of technology that uses headgear and instruments to engage the user in a simulated environment. She stated that superpowers include the capacity to bring individuals from all over the world together virtually in the same location and experience many of the same experiences as if they were gathering face to face. Because employees can’t meet in person to cooperate, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for virtual reality in the workplace. Virtual reality fosters collaboration and saves time and money in the workplace, according to Huang.

Autonomous machines

Robots had been stationary till now. Unfortunately, new technology allows them to “escape” in the shape of drones, 3D printers, and self-driving cars. “For 50 years, robots were confined to the workplace,” Brown added. “They were worried since they hadn’t seen us in a variety of instances before.” Modern robots can indeed recognize and understand their environments, allowing them to work alongside people safely. Drones and 3D printers are used to produce tools, toys, and even houses on demand.

Sensors

According to Brown, the planet will be decorated with more than 100 trillion sensors by the end of this century, allowing the digital world to grasp what is happening in the real world. Brown explained, “This encompasses anything from detectors on an autonomous car that leads it into a parking spot to supercharger sensors that cooperate with AI to perceive things we humans couldn’t normally detect, like a sickness.”. Beyond Voice, an Israeli tech firm provides a taste of what might be possible in the near future: It can identify coronary heart disease and chronic heart loss in the sound of someone’s speech using vocal indicators.

Mixed and Augmented Reality

Although its effect may be postponed in comparison to other significant breakthroughs, Brown believes that augmented reality (AR) will eventually be as influential as the iPhone, transforming the way people engage with digital information by fusing it with actual items. Augmented workers, for example, will be capable of learning duties in real-time. If a robot repairperson, for example, comes across a scenario they’ve rarely encountered before, they can put on special glasses and get a hands-on, step-by-step explanation. “They might not want to look at the eyeglasses the next time,” Brown speculated, “because they comprehend on the go.” “About 80% of the world’s workforce uses their hands or operates in a high mobility setting. This will be programming for them, and it will be prevalent by the end of the century.”