Inteligência artificial e organização do trabalho bancário: uma análise de bancos brasileiros e portugueses

Abstract

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and Digital Transformation (DT) are on the contemporary agenda. DT includes Artificial Intelligence (AI) applicable through Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVA) that emulate natural human communication. The phenomenon affects banks, Labor Organization (LO) and HRM. In an exploratory way, this research compared contexts and perceptions among bank branch workers, about the existence and use of (IVA) for "servicing" employees, in selected cities in Brazil and Portugal. The qualitative descriptive method was used through the strategy for multiple cases (incorporated), with an emphasis on characteristics and interrelationships between context, phenomenon and people. The interviews were conducted with 25 employees from 22 branches of 1 Brazilian bank in the municipality of Belo Horizonte, in 2018, with subsequent observations. Similarly, in national bank branches, in the cities of Porto, Braga, Lisbon and Cascais, in April 2019. In addition to direct observations, analysis of documents and information from local Federations and Associations (FEBRABAN and APB), banks and references theoretical, aiming at triangulations. Comparisons show contexts with opposite perceptions and potential for alignment. In the Brazilian case, there was a perception of the use of (IVA) to serve employees (and customers); 85% machine resolution; concomitance of the activities of the telephone operators (complex activities) with those of the (IVA) (less complex); relocation or layoffs in the call center; (IVA) enables by practical use; and (IVA) does not answer about HR. The organizational discourse of “human touch” and more “relationship” is a paradox. In both geographic contexts, among the selected cases, there is evidence of the advancement of Internet banking channels and mobile applications, but only in the Brazilian case was there a perception of (AVI) in these tools. There is evidence of incipient investments in chatbots/IVA by some banks (identified in secondary sources, after field period) and other segments of the Portuguese public and private sector, while in Brazil these aspects are more dynamic. Investigations on precarious work in agencies and contact centers are recommended; impacts of process automation (RPA) andAutomated Machine Learning (autoML); how the use of (IVA) will advance in the Portuguese context; and effects of (AI) provided by Fintech and HRtech startups and spin-offs on HRM employment, careers and practices; IVA, health and covid-19 in 2020.