AI Will Not Destroy Jobs, India Can Lead Global AI Adoption: Nandan Nilekani

Infosys co-founder and Chairman Nandan Nilekani has dismissed predictions that artificial intelligence (AI) will trigger widespread unemployment, arguing that the technology will create fresh opportunities for businesses and workers.

Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi on Oct 13, Nilekani said India was well positioned to benefit from AI because of its experience in deploying digital infrastructure at scale.

His comments followed International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva's warning that AI could affect nearly 40% of jobs worldwide.

'India Can Lead Global AI Adoption'

Nilekani argued that AI would not become a winner-take-all technology dominated by a handful of companies.

He expects greater availability of computing chips and an expanding network of technology providers to make AI more accessible.

According to him, India's biggest opportunity lies in delivering AI applications to millions of users rather than competing exclusively to develop the most powerful models.

He said the country's digital infrastructure experience would support widespread adoption across industries.

Nilekani also emphasised that technological transformation takes time, allowing companies to identify new business opportunities and improve operations.

He maintained that successful AI deployment requires understanding users' needs and developing solutions that address practical challenges.

AI Will Create New Opportunities

Rejecting concerns about declining demand for information technology services, Nilekani said companies such as Infosys could benefit from increasing business transformation requirements.

He described predictions of widespread disruption to the sector as "disaster marketing".

According to Nilekani, technology accounts for approximately 30% of a typical project, while the remaining work involves governance, safeguards and business requirements.

As AI automates routine programming tasks, he expects opportunities to emerge in client engagement, organisational change and technology implementation.

He also expressed confidence in India's ability to generate employment for its young population.

Nilekani identified small businesses as an important source of future jobs, arguing that enterprises employing three to five people need not be displaced by AI.

He highlighted technology's potential to improve examination systems and address practical challenges.

Nilekani, who serves on a taskforce examining ways to prevent examination paper leaks, stressed that user-focused solutions could achieve widespread acceptance.