Rejecting the Divide: Skills Must Complement, Not Compete
Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has a clear message for young professionals entering the AI era: stop choosing sides between MBA and engineering. In a recent interview with Moneycontrol, Murthy emphasized that technical and managerial skills are equally important, as they both approach and solve problems differently.
“I do not see any difference between a management graduate and a technology graduate,” he said. “One asks ‘what,’ the other asks ‘how.’ Both are needed.”
AI: A Tool for Smarter Humans, Not Fewer Jobs
Murthy dismissed the fear that AI will replace human workers, calling such concerns outdated. Drawing a parallel with the computerisation of banks, he reminded that fears of job losses then were also proven wrong. “Jobs multiplied by 40 to 50 times,” he said, predicting that AI will generate more jobs, not fewer.
Confession: ChatGPT Changed His Workflow
Sharing his personal experience, the 78-year-old tech icon admitted to using ChatGPT for preparing lectures. The results? Transformational.
“What took me 30 hours now takes 5 hours,” Murthy said.
He views AI tools like ChatGPT as assistive agents that boost human productivity, enabling professionals to focus on higher-order problem-solving.
What Will Change: The Way We Think
Murthy believes that while AI handles routine tasks, the true power of human talent will lie in asking better questions and defining complex problems. “The smartness is in asking the right question,” he noted, underscoring the rising importance of strategic and critical thinking.
Final Thought: A Collaborative AI Future
For Murthy, the future workforce must blend skills from both management and engineering. As AI evolves, professionals who combine domain expertise with creativity and problem-solving abilities will thrive. It’s not about engineers vs MBAs—it’s about building smart, multi-skilled teams for an intelligent world.
