Home topics technology Emerging Tech Tech Emerging Tech Robots, AI and the new economy: insights from this week’s Creative Innovation 2016 Conference Gareth Benson November 8, 2016 Disruption, particularly the rise of exponential technologies, is one of the greatest commercial and cultural threats all organisations will face in business over the next 5 years. In fact, it has been estimated that 47% of jobs will be lost due to new technologies. The Creative Innovation 2016 (Ci2016) Asia Pacific: The Exponential Shift: Making Transformation Happen conference commenced in Melbourne yesterday (7 November), sharing bold ideas, strategies and sustainable growth solutions for transformation across all business sectors. As part of a deep conversation in the Sofitel’s ballroom, Ci2016 international authorities including disruption, artificial intelligence and robotic experts who shared their perspectives on managing the dramatic changes that will be wrought by technology in coming years. A world authority on disruption Martin Ford suggests that widespread change will be driven by artificial intelligence and robotics. Ford suggest the threat that technology will pose to employment is not just for unskilled workers “we have a conventional view that automation impacts low wage workers, but it is increasingly coming for skilled workers”. Ford impresses that there may be a difficult transition to a new economy which eventually people will be able to adapt to jobs they seek greater fulfilment from. Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro a leading robotics expert described how in Japan innovation through robotics is occurring in hospitality, retail and tourism areas through commercial and