The disruption caused by nascent technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) will make certain jobs disappear, Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji said on November 19.
“I think that two-three… elements that people think which are very important is the disruption of the technology process… the reality is, there are going to be some jobs that will disappear,” Premji said at the 27th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2024.
The advent of AI and Generative AI has led to a chorus on how big an impact the technology will have on jobs, especially for low-income countries.
The Wipro veteran said the technology and tech services industry is probably going through the most disruptive and profound change in the last 17-18 years with Gen AI. And the reason, he said, is because the latest technology is moving at an incredibly rapid pace.
“I think the good part is the opportunity to disrupt virtually every aspect of our life with the productivity that AI can bring is going to be incredibly powerful,” Premji said at the fireside chat in Karnataka’s flagship tech summit.
Wipro’s worldwide enterprise clientele of about 1,400 has still not scaled production of AI. However, more and more customers are moving to production from Proof of Concepts (PoC), Premji added.
Further in the discussion, the Harvard B-School graduate said every job needs to be looked at in the form of tasks and not in the form of titles or roles, be it the executive chairman of a company or a fresher from campus.
He gave an example, saying the tasks that can be executed much better by a machine in professions, and those jobs will disappear.
“So the importance of thinking about jobs that are going to be less relevant is how do we take people along? It is going to be incredibly important responsibility for governance, for companies. How do we re-purpose people that for the future to be relevant?” Premji said.
Secondly, he highlighted that companies are increasingly focussing on the elimination of bias and discrimination in the data sets being used. Moreover, they are looking for an answer on how to ensure that AI is private, safe, and secure.
“From an enterprise perspective that's becoming a hugely important conversation, because most enterprises are panicked about the fact that if they get something wrong and they derail, it will deeply retard how quickly they will need to adopt… to adapt on scale,” Premji told a packed hall.
Premji also said that with every new technology such as AI, we need to forget outdated methods and embrace new learning. “In the future, soft skills, technical expertise, and behavioral skills will be more critical than ever.”
He added that AI works on historical data and its success depends on how well society adapts.
Premji said that India is well-positioned to capitalise on its post-Covid transformation, with the country now more capable of asserting itself on the global stage. "It’s easier than ever for India to present itself globally. Developing tech corridors within India will be crucial for sustaining growth," he stated, highlighting the importance of collaboration between government, industry, and individuals.
To summarise, he said, the timelines are still to be determined on how quickly AI will be adopted.
From imitation to innovation
Premji also said India is transitioning from a phase of imitation to true innovation. Premji highlighted Karnataka's emerging leadership in the semiconductor and electronics sectors as evidence of India’s growing technological prowess.
"To achieve anything meaningful, you need clarity in your objectives. It’s not about shortcuts or compromising— it’s about the impact you create," he said, crediting his father Azim Premji, for guiding him along this journey.
To summarise, he said, the timelines are still to be determined on how quickly AI will be adopted.
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