Search Search Japanese company fires its workers and replaces them with artificial intelligence Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, on December 27, 2016 / JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images The move could be a way for Japan to deal with its shrinking and ageing population 6169789578 Click to follow The Independent Tech A Japanese insurance company is replacing its staff with an artificial intelligence system.
 The move, which will see more than 30 people sacked to make way for the computer, is being seen as one of the clearest examples of the coming changes that robots and machines will bring to the workplace.
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 It will be able to factor in other information like medical history and surgical procedures and the work out how much people should be paid, according to Japanese newspapers.
 'Artificial intelligence alarmists' win 'Luddite of the Year' award For now, the calculations will only be used as a way of saving time by reducing how long it takes to work out payouts.
 Those calculations will still need to be signed off by a human.
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 Other Japanese insurance companies are already looking at similar systems, and some have already launched them but not yet sacked people.
 Japan is introducing artificial intelligence across the country in part to deal with a dangerously declining workforce.
 AI machines are going to be integrated into the work of government from next month, helping ministers look up answers to questions and cutting out the work done by civil servants.