In our weekly look into the world of business, Luke Pritchard, from our Corporate and Commercial team, takes a look at EY’s next venture…

EY (formerly Ernst & Young) is one of the largest providers of professional services in the world, and it has just confirmed plans for 30% of its workload to be carried out by apps and robots.

EY has 231,000 workers employed around the world.  The company suggests that the introduction of robots will relieve those workers of tedious, administrative tasks, freeing them to concentrate on “entrepreneurial projects” and improving their work-life balance.

Of course, the concern for those workers will be that EY may one day decide that the robot can fulfil their role entirely.  Oxford University recently published a report to suggest that 35% of jobs in the UK are at risk from automation over the next 20 years.

The challenge for business now, is how best to incorporate digital aids into a human workforce: particularly if the latter feels threatened by the former.