With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon. Elon Musk (1971–)
Editor’s comment
In this issue you’ll find several articles and a roundtable report on the feature topic of automation, artificial intelligence and robotics (pages 35–42). Though the articles’ authors present different views, some expressing concerns, their message is of
obviously had similar impact. However, I do not envisage similar radical effects occurring from application of AI as in my opinion scope for fundamental automation is now rather more limited. My research suggests to me that AI lacks intelligence, common- sense and experience. Enabling a machine to learn and think – and to react to available information (data) – is an ongoing challenge. It is also evident that a ‘gold rush’ is well-underway with some software and hardware suppliers (understandably) offering ‘AI’ functionality to assist sales. Will this gold rush pan out?
profound change ahead. Researching for my article Man and machine (page 36) confirmed that the pace of technological change is rapidly increasing. This is the world in which we live and work. It was the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when British Rail (which I was employee of until 1978) rolled out its computerised National Payroll System decimating those engaged in manually processing payroll. Computerisation of payroll across public and private sectors has
Mike Nicholas MCIPP AMBCS Editor
I hope 2018 has started off well for all our membership. Our three new board members elected by you at our December annual general meeting are starting to get to grips with their new roles and I’m sure Chair’s message
with our learning, whether that be with formal training courses or qualifications, or through our own personal learning. Perhaps you’ve already engaged with the CIPP for an event, or are even thinking of a qualification that will progress you towards the unique Individual Chartered Status. Will you be one of those experienced and qualified professionals who apply for your own personal Charter in 2018? I look forward to seeing many of you at CIPP events during 2018, my last year of office as chair; perhaps at a National Forum, National Payroll Week activities, Scottish National Conference, or the Annual Conference and Exhibition. Whatever the event, I hope you continue to learn, and develop yourself to provide the exceptional service that payroll and pensions professionals do.
will settle in really well. I can’t believe that we’ll soon be asking for nominations for the 2018 election – and so I ask that those of you who considered standing for election in 2017, but either didn’t apply for whatever reason or were unsuccessful, please consider it again. We need our membership to keep getting involved and it was a delight to see an increased number of votes in our AGM, although it is still a very small percentage of our overall membership who are eligible to vote. Let’s see if we can not only get a good number of applications for the membership to choose from again this year, but that we increase the number of votes and show that our membership is engaged fully with the CIPP. When we’re so early in the year, it is always interesting to see how many people are keeping to any resolutions they have made. One of the great resolutions we can make is to plan to continue
Eira Hammond FCIPPdip Chair, CIPP
Another year gone and here we are a month into the new year already. Normally at this time of the year we’re in the grips of winter though at the time of writing this, in December, thick snow, freezing temperatures CEO’s message
Remember to make the CIPP your first point of call as we continue to support all members through our calendar of training, events, consultancy, membership benefits (such as the Advisory Service and special interest groups) and an entire range of qualifications – all of which you can view in our online prospectus at http://bit.ly/2CLGa3I – to make sure you’re adequately skilled to proudly represent our industry. I extend a warm welcome to our three new board directors: Suzanne Gallagher, Stuart Hall and Lizabeth Lay. Their profiles and how they will represent you as members is on display at http://bit. ly/2CNdjw7. Thanks to our outgoing directors, Ian Walters and Paul Rains for their sterling service. I wish you all a successful and prosperous 2018.
and black ice have made an early start. Have you made new year resolutions? Are they broken or still in place? Well, the CIPP resolves to continue to be at the forefront of continually promoting payroll and pensions education, training, events and membership. I was looking at the challenges we faced as professionals in 2017, including the apprenticeship levy, Brexit, salary sacrifice changes, gender pay gap reporting, Scottish income tax rates and IR35 reform legislation. For me, it feels like ‘same again’ for 2018 as well as the introduction on 25 May 2018 of the General Data Protection Regulation. And as usual, as professionals, be it payroll or pensions, we will, throughout organisations in the UK and globally, have a key part to play.
Ken Pullar FCIPP Chief executive officer, CIPP
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 37 | February 2018
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