Automation needs structure to function.
This is because all automation is rule based.
It has to function on an “if this, then that” basis, and it doesn’t work if the “this” isn’t where it should be.
Most AI at the moment is being used to try and structure information after it’s created, rather than during.
“We didn’t classify that, so we’re using AI to do it” or “We didn’t structure that document, so we’re using natural language processing to populate some meta-data about it”.
Every time I see a new pitch for an AI tool, I wonder how much money an organisation will have to spend on the promise of a magical result, that could have been done far more simply (and cheaply) with a better structure.
I think structure to support automation is one of the great opportunities for RIM professionals. So many organisations with a great records managers are going to benefit from their approach to structure, and their deep understanding of the power of meta-data.
Information Governance 