AI in Supermarkets: Is it good for the retail industry?

It’s been reported that major supermarket chains and retailers could be cutting staff. This has been confirmed ahead of tax rises in April.

Transcript

00:00In every industrial revolution, or revolution of commerce, dare I say, there has always

00:09been a significant sort of shift in a way which has created opportunity, going right

00:14back to the industrial revolution.

00:16The Luddites, of course, those who know their history, resist this because, of course, people

00:20are losing their jobs, but then other jobs are created.

00:23The difficulty I see with automated intelligences is that the jobs that are left, one of the

00:28largest forms of employment for young men with that qualification is driving vans.

00:33If, in the worst possible instance, or the best, depending upon your perspective, is

00:38that these jobs are no longer there because, of course, they're being dropped in by drones

00:42and bots or whatever else that get the goods from the warehouse to our door, they disappear.

00:48Then, of course, what are those people going to do?

00:51I think that there is, at present, a big concern that it's going to have a major impact, as

00:56I say, on jobs that people ... A couple of generations ago, they might have gone into

01:00the factory, into a low or non-skilled role.

01:07They seem to be disappearing because, of course, they are the easiest to automate, but, of

01:10course, I think in this particular revolution, what we're also going to see is many middle

01:15layer jobs, if you like, or those which require some sort of skills in terms of intelligence.

01:21You might go and see a lawyer now.

01:23In the future, you might just put your key words in and you'll get an answer.

01:28We already see this in terms of, do we go and see our GP or do we just put our symptoms

01:33into the computer and it tells us what to do?

01:37There is a major concern, but hey, I'm not going to say it's not a good thing because

01:41there may be lots of unforeseen opportunities that will emerge from this.

01:46Digital Supermarkets News recently reported that AI will revitalise the retail industry

01:51in 2025 by, for example, reshaping how retailers operate, engaging with customers and optimising

01:57their supply chains.