Machine-based decision-making is coming

[FarCenter]

There may come a day when computers take over the business decision-making process.

Machines' unbiased assessments of data will replace managers' gut instincts and the knowledge they gain from experience and professional relationships -- not to mention the financial incentive they have for making the right call, according to Gartner analyst Nigel Rayner. His opinion isn't officially sanctioned by the research firm.

In Rayner's "maverick" view, we'd be better off if machines made more decisions. He cited a U.K. study of 350 large companies that found executives' pay rose 700% from 2002 to 2011 while the value of those businesses rose just 21% and workers' pay rose 27%.

...

"Everywhere I look, predictive modeling, machine-based algorithmic systems and computer-based simulations outperform humans," he added, noting that machines will play an expanding role in decision-making over the next 40 years or so.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/359630/Machine_Based_Decision_Making_Is_Coming

[RKP5637]

1. Management will find themselves obsoleted in favor of cheaper more

reliable machines. That said, how soon can we replace congress too with machines.

[FarCenter]

2. I would like to see the US tax code input to IBM's Watson

Watson, what loopholes exist in the US tax code?

Possibly it would cause the poor thing to go up in smoke and flames.

[RKP5637]

4. Even HAL couldn't handle that! LOL n/t

[Gman]

3. Coming? It's already here

and it's been here for years now. I can write one in Excel using conditional statements. Did it grad school 15 years ago.