As a real estate strategist, you accept the challenge of writing a piece for IRE Europe with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. Anticipation because it is a chance to explore a topic, consider the implications and deliver a view. Trepidation because, frankly, it takes time; sourcing relevant research and data, sifting and interpreting it and finally communicating the findings.

I may no longer have to worry. Online services can do the hard work for me. Algorithms can select and process information and create lucid prose to describe it. All I need to do is set an exam question, push the start button and top and tail the results with some strategic overlay. I should be done in minutes. Don’t tell the boss.

This technology is already here — see www.narrativescience.com as one example. By definition, it will only improve with time as such algorithms learn by doing. The key question, for me and for all of us, is what are we here for now? It seems that all of