Let me ask you a question, what is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say Artificial

Intelligence? You might think of terminator, where robots overthrow humans. Everything is possible, but
we won’t around by the time AI gets to that stage. I believe Tesco’s can benefit from introducing
Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI can help reduce the number of employees that is needed per store, possibly
its biggest single expense. For example, instead of people stacking the store, this can easily replace by a
robot helper, and you won’t even need cashiers something is already happening. The increase in profit
margin will help it to compete by increase in other areas. Contingency plans will be required as AI can
break down, so we will need specialists who can repair the robots, people who can manage the robots,
making sure they are working at an optimum rate, and no one try to destroy the machines. This means
some staffs can be trained with different set of skills and redeployed for the new business model to
reduce the potential jobs losses from the change.

You might say that workers will attempt to hamper this development, they will protest, strike and
attempt to negotiate, but innovation will never be stopped. Change will always happen; one must
always adapt. If humans didn’t create these new technologies, we wouldn’t have the industrial
revolution, so no computers or phones, meaning no Instagram or any other social media you have never
used. Others may fear Artificial Intelligence, well, women workers feared the Spinning Jenny, as it
speeded up the spinning process, reducing labour demand, still, the Spinning Jenny became one of the
key developments in the industrialization of textile manufacturing and helped to start the factory system
of cotton manufacturing.

Like the Spinning Jenny, technology evolution will continue, and AI is here to stay, not only will it cut
expense, but it will also make the business more efficient, a robot does not need maternity leave, sick
leave or holidays, a robot can work 24/7 around the clock quicker and more effectively. Amazon has
already started using AI in its stores. There are no cashiers just stuffs looking after the store, once you
finished, all the items will be paid via your Amazon account. If we do not adapt, if we do not innovate,
this great company will be stuck into the stone ages, dinosaurs in a competitive world. If we invest in AI,
we will bring confidence from investors that Tesco is adapting, it is changing, it is innovating.