The controversy round synthetic intelligence has largely been framed round one query: “Will synthetic intelligence take away jobs?”
however, hinduism In Huddle’s session on “I, Robotic: How AI is reshaping the way forward for work,” trade veterans argued that India dangers lacking out on a extra vital dialog about how one can redesign schooling, abilities, analysis, and enterprise for an AI-driven future.
The panel moderator is Enterprise content material Editor Raghuvir Srinivasan convened former Cognizant CEO Lakshmi Narayanan, former NASSCOM chairman and NITI Aayog’s outstanding affiliate Devjani Ghosh, and former Saint-Gobain India chairman B. Santhanam.
For Ghosh, the present narrative about job losses as a consequence of AI is commonly misplaced. “A whole lot of the layoffs up to now have been as a consequence of overemployment throughout the pandemic, so what’s occurring is a correction,” she mentioned, pushing again towards the notion that AI is already eliminating giant numbers of jobs.
That does not imply the dangers might be ignored. As AI techniques grow to be able to performing mundane, repetitive duties, entry-level jobs might come beneath the best stress.
“The entry degree is unquestionably going to be disrupted, and that is vital as a result of that is hundreds of thousands of individuals in India, hundreds of thousands of younger individuals in India,” Ghosh mentioned.
She argued that the problem isn’t to withstand AI, however to revamp efforts to work round it. Quite than viewing jobs as mounted roles, employers and policymakers want to interrupt them down into duties and establish areas that may be automated and people who nonetheless require human judgment.
That future, she mentioned, shall be outlined by what she calls the “human sandwich mannequin.” “A human is required to formulate the questions and inputs, the AI does the work, and at last a human is required once more to confirm the outcomes,” she mentioned, including that this mannequin will grow to be much more vital as autonomous AI brokers grow to be extra widespread.
The dialog quickly moved past jobs to India’s place within the world AI economic system.
Whereas India has emerged as one of many world’s largest digital markets, Ghosh cautioned that being a client of know-how isn’t the identical as creating worth from it.
“When you have a look at the $17.6 trillion projection of how a lot worth AI will create over the subsequent 5 years, 80% of it’s going to go to 2 nations, the US and China. For India, we must always intention to seize at the very least 10% of that,” she mentioned.
However Santhanam believes India’s largest alternative might not lie in competing head-on with Silicon Valley’s frontier mannequin. As an alternative, it argued that the nation may create disproportionate impacts by the unfold of AI throughout sectors reminiscent of agriculture, schooling and healthcare.
“A very powerful job is to unfold the phrase in three areas: agriculture, schooling, and well being. I believe that is the place AI can do issues that people can not do,” he mentioned.
He highlighted the nation’s skill to deploy know-how at scale, pointing to examples the place AI-powered options developed for India’s agro-ecosystem had been tailored to be used elsewhere inside months.
However Santhanam reserved his sharpest criticism of Indian corporations.
“Nifty45 has 230 impartial administrators. Lower than 10% of them have an understanding or information of know-how. That’s the present state of our board,” he mentioned.
He argued that the dearth of engagement with AI at board degree is especially regarding at a time when know-how is quickly reworking industries. “Not a single firm talked about AI of their managing director’s report. That is surprising.”
Mr. Narayanan additionally reiterated his considerations about India’s preparedness, notably in schooling and analysis. When requested if Indian universities are producing graduates who’re prepared for the AI period, he answered candidly.
“The quick reply isn’t any.”
He mentioned India has traditionally been good at adopting and scaling know-how, however lacks funding in innovations and analysis to drive know-how management. “We do not make investments sufficient in analysis, and the duty lies with the personal sector,” he mentioned.
The previous Cognizant chief govt argued that India is pleased with the uptake however wants a lot stronger capabilities in innovation and analysis if it needs to play a significant position in shaping the subsequent wave of AI.
Taken collectively, the panelists painted an image that’s neither utopian nor alarming. AI will destroy jobs, particularly on the backside of the pyramid. New alternatives will even come up. However whether or not India emerges as a price creator or only a client will depend upon how rapidly it will possibly overhaul its lecture rooms, boardrooms and workforce to align with know-how that’s advancing quicker than ever earlier than.
issued – June 6, 2026 10:32pm IST
