Chapter 8: Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Automation Hit by the Pandemic: Reality or Myth

Purpose: To analyse the acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) operations and robotic process automation (RPA) by comparing its market size and revenue worldwide during the pandemic and, measuring the impact of AI investment levels on jobs human resource functions, and analysing the role of AI in future work.

Design/Methodology: The archival data analysis technique is used to fetch data from sources like the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), Statista, Deloitte, Mc Kinsey, Strata, Tractica, and IDC. Descriptive analysis with supporting literature has been contextually used for each objective which further establishes practical and theoretical implications of AI, intelligent process automation (IPA), and RPA in different industries during Covid-19 pandemic. This study analysed active scholarly articles from the Scopus database and presented results and findings.

Findings: The findings of the study state that emerging technologies such as AI, IPA, and RPA have a strong potential impact on market size, revenue, number of jobs, and investments levels during the pandemic. The global investment in AI is projected to witness an upsurge from 2018 to 2027, which significantly impacts the human workforce in various industries. The results of the study state that AI/RPA seems to be a crucial technological intervention, especially in times of the pandemic.

Originality/Value: This study contributes to the body of knowledge by constructing a base for understanding the pace of AI/RPA/IPA intervention and its significant impact on organisation process, structure, and people in different sectors. The timeline and forecast of this study intend to make industry consultants future to prepare to align themselves in an era of digital disruption.