Delivering a keynote address at the prestigious India Today Conclave of 2023, esteemed AI professionals emphasized the pressing need to delve into and harness the potential of AI at present to propel careers and enhance livelihoods in the future.
The question of "Will AI take away my job?" reverberates persistently, and understandably so. Forecasts from luminaries such as the CEO of Nvidia have painted scenarios where AI might supplant coders, while former CEOs of HCL have envisioned a landscape where IT companies in India require substantially fewer personnel due to AI integration. Yet, at the India Today Conclave of 2024, luminaries like Vyshak Venugopalan, Director of Solution Consulting at Adobe India, and Samik Roy, Executive Director for India & South Asia at Microsoft India, illuminated a more optimistic perspective regarding AI's impact on employment.
Venugopalan articulated, "AI will lower the floor, allowing more individuals to participate. It will democratize creativity to a significant degree. Simultaneously, it will also raise the ceiling, fostering professional growth and elevating the standard of work through enablement and education." He emphasized, "This pattern mirrors the historical trajectory of transformative technological waves, which have consistently propelled human progress over the long term."
Echoing Venugopalan's sentiments, Roy emphasized the importance of embracing AI now to drive personal and professional advancement. "It's imperative to dip one's toes into AI waters now, understanding its potential applications to propel individual careers and livelihoods forward," he urged.
Roy further emphasized the necessity of reskilling in the era of AI, acknowledging the valid concerns about job displacement. "The flexibility of the job market is crucial," he remarked, "requiring ongoing skilling and reskilling efforts." He highlighted the role of AI in reducing the learning curve, citing Microsoft's investment in AI tools like Copilot and its collaboration with OpenAI.
Regarding the looming specter of AI surpassing human intelligence, Roy offered reassurance, asserting, "While we may indeed create intelligence surpassing our own, it's essential to recognize that AI remains a tool for human use. Its trajectory and impact ultimately hinge on human decision-making and ethical considerations."
The discussion veered towards the ethical deployment of AI, emphasizing the significance of scrutinizing the data used to train AI models. Venugopalan underscored the necessity of responsible AI training, particularly in light of emerging challenges like deepfake technology. He highlighted Adobe's rigorous ethical standards in AI development, emphasizing their commitment to ensuring safe and ethical usage of AI-generated content.
In conclusion, the discourse surrounding AI's evolution underscores not only its transformative potential but also the imperative for responsible stewardship and ethical deployment in shaping a future where AI augments human capabilities rather than supplants them.
