New Delhi: Sandip Patel, Managing Director of IBM India/South Asia, has asserted that despite concerns about generative artificial intelligence (AI) posing a threat to certain jobs, AI will, in fact, generate more job opportunities than it eliminates.
Patel emphasised that he has witnessed technology and various innovations evolve over time, news agency IANS reported.
Patel explained to the news agency that while people often fear the creation of entirely new jobs, history demonstrates a positive trend. He drew parallels with the advent of the Internet, noting that although it initially led to a decline in certain sectors such as newspaper printing, it also gave rise to entirely new job categories like web design, data science, digital marketing, and web publishing, employing millions.
Highlighting the importance of re-skilling, Patel stressed that it will play a crucial role in adapting to the changing job landscape. Currently, 46% of companies in India are involved in training or re-skilling employees to collaborate with automation and AI tools, with room for further progress.
Patel underscored the government’s recognition of the need for re-skilling. Additionally, he mentioned that within organisations, 50% of employees express excitement about working with new AI and automation tools. However, he acknowledged the challenge of training a diverse workforce, stating that not everyone can become a coder or AI developer. The focus should be on learning to work with evolving technologies.
Minister of State for IT and Skill Development, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, echoed the importance of talent in the progress of AI, emphasising that universities need to produce more masters and PhDs in AI. He stressed the need for collaboration between the tech industry, academic institutions, and governments globally to shape the future talent pipeline for AI-related jobs.
