Business Tips
16
beauty meets when
AI
LAUREN GIBSON examines how AI (Artificial Intelligence) is likely to impact the future workforce.
T
here is a lot of buzz at the moment about the Fourth Industrial Revolution and what humans will do if or when AI takes over
our jobs. For those of you who seem to think the Fourth Industrial Revolution is still coming, you may be disappointed. We are already there, with discussions around the Fifth Industrial Revelation underway. Think about your everyday life and the small things that you use technology for. We use and leverage these enhancements to make our lives faster and more effective. Topics such as 4-day work weeks, flexible work hours, video conference calls instead of meetings, working remotely, and selling products off Instagram are all things that companies are already doing. AI should not be seen as a negative subject. The advancement in technology is what allows us to grow and develop our industry and evolve our services to clients. If you think back to 10 years ago, we have made huge advancements since then in our sector. The internet has allowed us to market our business to consumers who wouldn’t usually know about us, and social media gives us the opportunity for targeted marketing. If you use those tools correctly, you can grow
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your business alongside changes in technology and reap the benefits.
Agile and adaptable AI means agility and being able to adapt to the new aspects of tomorrow’s world. Our job titles may need to evolve with the addition of AI and technology, but it doesn’t mean we lose the human element. As an example, a receptionist may be replaced by an AI bot to answer the phones and greet people, but someone needs to programme the bot, reboot it and ensure the maintenance is done on a regular basis. For that you will need a human. Thus your receptionist title changes from receptionist to AI controller, or something similar. The human element is probably one of the most important factors that sets our industry apart from all the others. A machine or technology cannot compete with the element of human touch, transfer of energy and that feel good factor. And, in a world that is constantly evolving towards technology and ‘more’ connection, people seem to be feeling less connected and are craving human touch as a way to destress, re-calibrate and unwind. This is the therapist’s superpower to grow in this world of rapid change. I believe the secret is about finding the balance in both worlds. Ensure you leverage the power of your touch as a therapist and constantly evolve with the rapid changes in technology. Putting your head in the sand and refusing to blossom and evolve will mean you get left behind and this could be catastrophic for your
business, as it could mean loss of clients, less new clients and ultimately not being the first choice in salon or spa for consumers. PB
Lauren Gibson has been in the health and skincare industry for over 10 years as well as in the IT and fashion industry. She has worked for Dermalogica for the last seven years as an educator, brand consultant and currently the regional manager for the Western and Eastern Cape. laureng@dermalogica.co.za
