Guest Editor: San Murugesan (https://sites.google.com/site/san1profile/)

Automation is rapidly advancing along a few new directions. Traditionally, automation employed ‘feedback control’ to perform a task or to keep a parameter of interest within a specified limit. It transformed industries in several ways, replacing much of the manual work. Then, robotic process automation (RPA) helped to automate and speed up key business workflows. Now, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), autonomous operational capabilities, smart materials, GPS data and other technologies, traditional automation is being enhanced with several advanced features such as intelligence, the ability to work collaboratively, the competency to deal with unknown or uncertain environments, and with the ability to perform satisfactorily even with partial information.

This enhanced automation, known as smart automation, hyper automation, intelligent automation and intelligent RPA (IRPA), is now receiving significant interest among researchers, developers, business and industry. While it is both promising and encouraging, it also raises a few technical, organizational, managerial, social, ethical and regulatory issues and challenges which need to be satisfactorily addressed.

An upcoming issue of Cutter Business Technology Journal, Guest Edited by San Murugesan, aims to examine the emergence of the new face of automation and explore novel ways to address various issues and challenges it presents. It’ll also examine the disruptions it might cause and the impact on businesses, the job landscape, and society. Furthermore, it will discuss how the IT industry and IT professionals can get ready to embrace the new frontiers in automation.

For this issue, we’re seeking insights and perspectives from practitioners, academics, consultants, visionaries and industry experts that address one or more of the following questions:

How are smart automation, autonomous systems and IRPA being used in domains such as business, finance, manufacturing, smart factories, healthcare, supply chain, tourism, hospitality, and defence? How will automation shape these domains in the future? What new applications and innovations might emerge?

How can two or more such systems work together collaboratively? What are typical use cases?

What are the promises and potential of cobots (collaborative robots), and what new challenges will they pose?

How can an advanced automation system and a human interact and work together, capitalising on the strengths of each other?

How can we implement ‘adjustable autonomy,’ which requires transfer of decision-making control to other entities (typically an automation system transferring control to human operator, or vice versa) in key situations?

How can automation embrace AI, ML, IoT, GPS data, cloud, robots and smart materials?

What kind of enterprise automation strategy can embrace new advances? What are the challenges in implementing the strategy?

Trust is a critical factor in adoption of advanced automation in practices. How can we establish their trust-worthiness?

How might cyberattacks affect safety, reliability and operations of an autonomous automation system?

What are the issues to be explored further in automation design, implementation and deployment?

What are the major concerns and threats of emerging automation? How might new kinds of automation impact a skilled workforce?

What new opportunities will arise now, and in the near future, for the IT industry and technology professionals?

What are moral and ethical obligations and responsibilities of developers and adopters of advanced automation?

Do automation technologies and applications need be regulated, and if so by whom?


ARTICLE IDEAS. Please send article ideas (short paragraph/outline format) to San Murugesan and Christine Generali (san1@internode.net and cgenerali@cutter.com). Accepted articles due April 30, 2020. Final article length is typically 2,000-3,500 words plus graphics. More editorial guidelines at https://experts.cutter.com/acton/ct/19169/s-0824-1807/Bct/l-0093/l-0093:2/ct3_0/1?sid=TV2%3Abmn1Cis2i.

Cutter Business Technology Journal is published monthly as a forum for thought leaders, business practitioners and academics to present innovative ideas, current research and solutions to the critical issues facing business technology professionals in industries worldwide competing in today's digital economy.

Author Compensation: Journal authors will receive an online, one year complimentary subscription to Cutter Business Technology Journal. In addition, the Journal occasionally pull excerpts, along with the author's bio, to include in weekly Cutter Edge email newsletter, which reaches another 12,000 readers. It can arrange to make copies of the issue in which you're published available for attendees of those speaking engagements -- furthering your own promotional efforts.