While many workers are worried artificial intelligence will take their job one day, a Polish drinks company is handing over the CEO role to a robot.
Dictador, best known for its rums, has appointed a robot, run with artificial intelligence, to oversee the company. It goes by the name “Mika.”
“Dictador’s board decision is revolutionary and bold at the same time,” said Dictador Europe president Marek Szoldrowski in a statement. “This first human-like robot, with AI, in a company structure, will change the world as we know it, forever.”
Significant decisions, like hiring and firing, are still in the hands of the humans at the company. Instead, Mika will largely focus on choosing artists to design custom bottles.
“My decision-making process relies on extensive data analysis and aligning with the company’s strategic objectives,” Mika said in an “interview” with Reuters. “It’s devoid of personal bias, ensuring unbiased and strategic choices that prioritize the organization’s best interests.”
It probably doesn’t hurt that Mika also happily works 24/7 without demanding stock options.
A PR stunt? Of course it is. But that doesn’t make it worth dismissing immediately.
Dictador has been on the forefront of technology-based stunts like this, last week offering what it called “the world’s first tokenization of aged rum” and offering rum via NFT last year (which quickly raised $25,000 for the company).
While Mika may be ornamental, generative AI is expected to be used by companies to make more and more decisions in the years to come. A recent report from McKinsey found that AI could add the equivalent of $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy by 2040. To put that into perspective: The United Kingdom’s entire GDP in 2021 was $3.1 trillion
In addition, the report said, AI could enable labor productivity growth of 0.1% to 0.6% annually in that same time.
