TRENDS, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF OFFICE ADMINISTRATION IN THE ERA OF AUTOMATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Abstract

The advent of artificial intelligence has meant that a number of hitherto cast-iron realities have had to be reconceived, and a lot of processes reconfigured, with great implications for production, training and development, and procedures. In the field office administration and management, the transformation that artificial intelligence-driven automation is engendering has been profound. This paper discusses the trends, opportunities and challenges of office administration and management in the era of automation and artificial intelligence. It posits that the world stands at the threshold of great transformations in the field of office administration. The paper discusses the concept of office administration, requisite competencies and personality qualities of the contemporary officer, evolution of the office from the invention of the typewriter to the development of the internet and submits that artificial intelligence, which is already driving great transformations in all realms of human endeavour, is poised to radically innovate the office beyond mankind‘s current comprehension.    The paper identifies artificial intelligence system integration, robotic process automation, augmented reality and virtual reality, Internet of things, collaborative cloud tools, blockchain and personalized learning as AI-enabled tools driving the ongoing revolution in office administration and management.    This revolution promises fundamental transformation in processes, with significant implications for productivity, efficiency and employee engagement. Automation however also constitutes significant challenge in the areas of asset security and privacy, job loss and the need for continuous financial deployment to catch up with endless changes. The paper also provides the panacea to these challenges: continuous training for reskilling and upskilling. The Nigerian government is also advised to put in place infrastructures and policies to encourage the deployment of AI in government and industry.

Key words: Office administration, Automation, Artificial Intelligence.