The Managing Director (MD) of IBM India/South Asia, Sandip Patel thinks that artificial intelligence (AI) will open up more job opportunities than it eliminates in the long run, mirroring the Internet’s journey. However, reskilling employees to work alongside smart machines is crucial.
During his three-decade tech career, Patel has seen several potentially disruptive technologies like the Internet spur entirely new sectors, creating millions of jobs – from web designers, data analysts to digital marketers. AI promises a similar wave he feels.
Re-skilling Vital But Needs Scale Upskilling While 46% Indian firms currently train staff to harness automation and AI collabitatively, the numbers need to swell multi-fold, involving coordinated action between tech players, academic bodies and policymakers to shape future talent pipelines.
As digitization transforms workplace dynamics, merely coding expertise won’t suffice. Multiple skills like data science, MLOps, analytics, design thinking, etc. need infusion into learning roadmaps from schools itself to universities to corporate training channels.
Accessible, affordable reskilling is pivotal so employees feel engaged, not threatened by AI promising enhanced productivity and decision-making. But filling the talent pool gaps urgently remains the key priority.
