Some jobs will disappear due to AI: Wipro Executive Chairman Rishad Premji

At a time when the 70-hour work week topic has sparked debate online, Premji also said that work-life balance is incredibly important for employees

Artificial intelligence is bringing the most disruptive and profound change the technology industry has ever witnessed, said Wipro executive chairman Rishad Premji at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2024.

 

“The reason for that is that it is moving at such an incredibly rapid pace,” said Premji during a fireside chat with T M Veeraraghav, executive editor, NDTV, on ‘Building Legacy Through Purpose’. “The productivity that AI can bring is going to be incredibly powerful.”

 

He noted that while consumers are adopting AI rapidly, enterprises are still in an experimental phase. “Are they moving to scale production? No. Are more customers moving from piloting to production? The answer is yes,” Premji said.

 

However, Premji cautioned about job losses due to the disruption caused by AI, emphasising the need to take people along. He highlighted the importance of reskilling workers to ensure their relevance in the future workforce. “The reality is that there are going to be some jobs that will disappear,” he added.

 

Premji suggested analysing jobs by tasks rather than titles or roles, as AI will likely automate specific tasks, leaving others that require human intervention.

 

He stressed the need to ensure the safety and security of AI adoption while eliminating biases in data sets. “We need to think about how we can take people along and also create the right guardrails to make it adoptable on scale quickly,” he said.

 

Skills for the Future

 

Premji underscored the importance of skills like agility, adaptability, critical thinking, and empathy, alongside the ability to unlearn and learn new skills, as essential for the future workforce. Wipro, he noted, is now focusing more on non-technical skills.

 

Regarding India’s role in the global technology landscape, Premji said the country is poised to become the tech capital of the world. “Until the Covid-19 pandemic, people used to come to India because it was cheap. After Covid, people are coming to India because that is where the talent is,” he said.

 

He added that customers are shifting their decision-making to India, recognising it as a talent hub rather than a low-cost destination. However, he cautioned that staying relevant amid rapidly changing technology will be a significant challenge.

 

Role of Government and Innovation

 

Premji called for government action to create guardrails around AI without stifling innovation. He highlighted the importance of collaboration between the government, industry, and individuals in addressing skilling challenges and fostering innovation.

 

He noted that India is already transitioning from imitation to innovation, driven by a skilled talent pool and advanced work by tech services firms and Global Capability Centres. Local opportunities, particularly in education and healthcare, further underscore India’s potential, he said, citing the example of digital public infrastructure (DPI).

 

“We are sitting on a tremendous amount of data as a country, and if we can leverage that, we can unlock the potential of use cases that can be built,” Premji added.

 

Work-Life Balance

 

Commenting on the 70-hour work week debate, Premji said that work-life balance is essential for employees. “It’s about the freedom employees have with their time while at work,” he said.

 

He also highlighted the company’s focus on mental health, offering tools, therapist access, and training for managers to better support employees. “We want people to come to the office three days a week, but we also want them to have the flexibility of managing two days on their own account,” Premji said.

 

Trump Administration

 

When asked about the potential impact of a new Trump administration on the tech industry, Premji said the tech services industry has thrived over the past 20–25 years, irrespective of government changes. “The current outcome is certainly going to be pro-business and pro-growth,” he said, adding that reduced taxes and regulations could be beneficial, but inflationary pressures from tariffs and immigration policies must be monitored.