Boardroom automation? The implications on knowledge activities and senior positions

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the impact of workplace automation and in particular the latest developments in artificial intelligence on knowledge work. This McKinsey article points out that senior staff, proxied by a high hourly rate, are also likely to be impacted. It notes that it is not jobs per se that are being affected, but many of the activities that those jobs entail.

We know that the KIN professional services firms (consulting and legal) are well aware of this development. For example, in legal decision-making and finance using the blockchain. How about other sectors? How do you see non-manual and knowledge intensive jobs being impacted?  Is this being received as an opportunity (for example to release time to focus on high-value customer activities) or as a threat to job numbers?

What are the organisational learning implications?

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/four_fundamentals_of_workplace_automation?cid=other-eml-nsl-mip-mck-oth-1512

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)