Smart machines and robots may replace highly-trained professionals in the jobs, market research firm Gartner has warned. "The economics of AI(Artificial Intelligence) and machine learning will lead to many tasks performed by professionals today becoming low-cost utilities," said Stephen Prentice, vice president and Gartner Fellow AI's effects on different industries will force the enterprise to adjust its business strategy.

Many competitive, high-margin industries will become more like utilities as AI turns complex work into a metered service that the enterprise pays for, like electricity. The effects that AI will have on the enterprise will depend on its industry, business, organisation and customers. Financial services are another industry where jobs such as loan origination and insurance claims adjustment could be automated.

"Ultimately, AI and humans will differentiate themselves from each other," said Prentice. AI is most successful in addressing problems that are reasonably well-defined and narrow in scope, whereas humans excel at defining problems that need to be solved and at solving complex problems.

They can collaborate with one another, and when situations change significantly, humans can adjust.

AI will eventually replace many routine functions of the IT organisation, particularly on the operations side, such as in system administration, help desk, project management and application support. Some roles will disappear, but AI will improve some skills shortages, and the IT organisation as a whole will increasingly focus on more creative work that differentiates the enterprise.

