Consequences of More Self Service

 Self servicing will reign supreme, unless you pay a fee for what we take for granted now.

When customers process their own transactions on line or in physical reality, any mistakes made, honest or not honest, will place the onus of responsibility back on to them.

The place of interaction between customer and service will be minimised with human interaction.
It can be cheaper to use Artificial Intelligence or other software to communicate with the customers. It implies a much less need to set up physical offices, shops and presence. Beware the commercial real estate industry!

Businesses earn more revenue by offering service for extra fees charged.  This can be already seen in the contemporary arrangements of having to stack up so many frequent flyer points to be eligible  to enter an airline lounge waiting for a flight.

There is no such thing as a free lunch to access the airline lounge - you already pay annual fees and in money to convert to points at a ridiculously low rate.  It may feel free to you if your business or employer pays for your annu al credit card charges, airfare and reward points.  Current frequent flyer credit cards on offer in the market require the holder to minimum spend within 3 months,  thousands of expense money to be charged to the cards, before they are eligible for the promised many points.

So this premium service I cite above, as coming from airlines and participating credit card issuers, can be compared to the masses
having to pay extra charges for normal transactions in the future.

In Australia, I notice some elderly
people can be enjoying much needed social chats at the counter in supermarkets, post offices, newsagents and when physically pay their bills.  The quality of their mental and social health can be negatively impacted if they cannot do this anymore. Would this group pay a fee to have this continued pleasure?

Even before the 21st century began, customers have sensed a deterioration of service when making complaints for poor or under performing service.  Customers are put on hold for long periods on the phone before they get any commencement of any help.
Chatbots on apps want to help you, you have to write everything as if we cannot speak and then even a resolution to our problem is not forthcoming.  In the near future, if I want to speak to a live human being to sort out problems regarding my purchase, I will have to pay an extra fee.

Will the price of goods and services be any better, when we have to self transact, self service and self manage?   I do not reckon so - underlying reasons like the lack of labour, supply chain logistics, materials in short supply, the decreasing exchange value of currency and so forth will be cited as reasons.

If true, will these predictions cause a backlash in the mindsets of customers when dealing with providers? 

Will new business oppprtunities be created to service customers who will pay brokers to help them?

Go reckon.

#yongkevthoughts

AI Ramifications

 

My thoughts about AI are that once AI gets embedded into massive use, we will soon not realise or distinguish, what is the truth or reality, from what is made up with dubious agendas and out to mislead.

Technology will offer new fangled or useful mechanisms.  How one uses them is the bottom line reality for society, economy, philosophy, art, personal relations, geopolitics and in the broad management of Mother Earth.

Unlike offerings from past Industrial Revolutions, AI heralds a more serious concern to the human race, as AI can sophisticatedly self learn at a fast pace to emulate otherwise inherent human abilities like observing, copying plus self developing - and gradually become more independent from or merged in singularity with previously separate human intervention.

Applied negatively, AI will increasingly become a useful ingredient for destruction, manipulation and greed.  At the same time,
AI can save significant costs, bring more efficient supply logistics, eliminate repetitive work in human labour and provide instant analysis of performance, business or health wise.

With a burgeoning population of currently 8 billion, Earth has so many unique humans to look for a purpose in employment, business or occupation role.
AI can remove much of human input in manufacturing, care services, health diagnosis, financial care, retail services, mass delivery, military, communication, transport and in the daily regime of any human being.

AI can spike the value of services and businesses where personal interaction is still offered, albeit at expensive prices and higher revenue margins.

AI can make its mark in the quality and quantity of services provided to customers residing in remote geographical areas, like across the United States, China, Russia, Africa, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Chile and Argentina.  Long distance education is an obvious candidate for such a useful purpose.

Aged care services so benefit from AI, ranging from diagnostic services, location of patients, stimulating activities for the elderly and in assessing meal standards.

On the other hand, will our already much eroded personal privacy parameters be scuttled even more by the application of AI technology?

AI only works when there is a viable level, capacity and capability of wi-fi delivery.  Not many places or much of the population have access to this higher level of wi-fi. 

Fun aside, like at this stage, with the making of amazing, humorous, agitative, educational, propagandic or
community video clips,  AI on balance poses further challenges to the viability, integrity and uniqueness of the human intellect, condition and pysche.

Will there be a time when AI creativity surpasses that of the human brain and heart?

As demonstrated in the past, pertinent regulation, policy and legislation introduced in various nations can be so many steps behind the impact of AI.  This kind of mindset and reactive response to AI can only be disadvantageous for human interests.   Earth is meeting head on with a powerful technology whose control still remains with supercharged and well funded powers.

#yongkevthoughts

AI

 

We may no longer require human beings or robots to read the news in broadcasts or telecasts.  Who still allocates a time slot, predetermined by others, to listen or watch what we can read ourselves, at our own leisure on other more accessible mediums?

Instead of focusing on sharing common joy and values, our instant gratification electronic wifi controlled social media can simmer and dwell in arguments, self centred opinions and assertive pushing of agendas.

The contemporary world is bristling with content in the virtual communication universe.   There is freedom to embrace, reject or ignore the views and impressions presented.   Yet, mutual understanding, compromise, tolerance and cooperation can be so much less between different cultures, societies and religions.

The human being can overtax its capability and capacity in use of ears and eyes.  Transactions can be executed without leaving a seated position.  There can be blurred lines between mental, visual and physical reality.

Sophisticated algorithms enable the better application and execution of artificial intelligence.  The outcome is an immediate summation and utilisation of whatever vast amount of data and other information they have access to.  However, can AI apply a much needed layer of ethics, a soul, gut feel, human judgement and instinctive response of a human being?

Robotic service interaction can learn from experience but never have the savvy, perspective and context of human interaction.  Robots and machines can replace
automated, repetitive and mundane transactions.   A human touch is irreplaceable and will be priced even more in the market.

Reflect on processed food, robotic waiters, software driven chats and driverless vehicles.   They can be used to reduce costs and boost profit margins, but increase problems due to the absence of another human interacting with you.

Do you want your daily routine to be filled with AI only?   It is as humiliating as being without the company of a plant or animal day in day out.  Can AI be only as intelligent or developed as human beings allow them to be, or will they evolve to a stage beyond the imagination and control of their human inventors?   AI operates based on energy sources and mechanisms accessible to them - they do not have a life of their own.

What back ups do human societies have in the event of a break down of AI processes?   Will AI possibly contaminate and corrupt the integrity of data, information and skills they own?   When AI calls the shots in the supply of utilities, transport links, finance and trade, surgery procedures and routine diagnosis, supply chains and software that run the wheels of a virtual community, can they hold us to ransom?    The ultimate enemy of human beings can be not another dictator or traditional evil.

One thing though for sure is that AI will know each and all of us better than ourselves.   Will this inherent ability be misused or abused by another human being, corporate or government to help control the masses?  Most likely this is already a reality.

#yongkevthoughts

Verifying Your Existence

 

The question of verification has grown to be larger than life.

It used to be a preoccupation that documents submitted in an application had to be examined and witnessed by an authorised third party as true and authentic.

All officially sounding and in actual physical process.

The temptation of human forgers then jumped on to digital and electronic communication and representation.

Authenticity is no longer confined as significant to just art pieces, printed psssports and land title deeds.

We now question the
validity of identities purporting to be our financiers, government reps, medical consultants, bosses, employees, fans, suppliers - and even ourselves.

That may be because we are dealing more in faceless transactions interacting with low cost maintained robots, software and AI.

The screen is what we touch, talk and manage in not just entertainment, but also for other essential activities in the course of contemporary life.

Hackers intercept the vulnerable points in such processes.  They can create false websites, stir fear on their targeted victims and mislead customers to part with what they really want, be it useful personal details or false consent.

Even videos and photos of events on social media can be put on to our minds and faces out of context, unverified and hijacked for less savoury known and unknown agendas.

Our own images can be transformed to Avatars, replicas of our own beings or artificial reconstructs of our likeness, but existing only in different worlds.

When more things need to be verified, as uncertainty can strike when we least expect it, a climate of reluctance can arise.

Commerce can also give us no choice as they promote more self service, online purchasing and reduction of human contact in sales, delivery and payment.

When websites, apps and  media content get hacked, our personal data fall into the hands of dark forces for future use.

When we deal face on in person, we can gauge and interact in better confidence about the viability and reality of a transaction.  Most of us are just not equipped to verify things subject to hidden manipulation through technological hype and ability.

#yongkevthoughts