India Inc needs to ensure AI becomes tool for empowerment: ADP India

Knowledge workers and mid-career professionals in India are hopeful that artificial intelligence will positively impact their roles, even as concerns about job displacement persist, especially among younger professionals, a top official of a human capital management solutions provider has said.

At a time when AI has become a critical part of an organisation's functioning, many professionals see the positive possibilities of AI. At the same time, a large number also have concerns about job displacement and feel uncertain about AI's future influence on their roles.

To lessen fear and resistance around AI adoption, organisations balance enthusiasm for AI adoption with the lingering concerns about job displacement.

"A good antidote to fear is skill-building: when employers invest in tailored training and upskilling, employees' anxiety turns into confidence, and optimism rises," Rahul Goyal, Managing Director, ADP India and Southeast Asia told PTI.

According to ADP's latest chapter of 'People at Work' report, India is the second largest market (34 per cent) where people strongly agree that AI will positively impact their job responsibilities next year.

Only 17 per cent of respondents believe that AI will replace their jobs.

"India's optimism about AI arises from a unique blend of workforce preparedness, cultural flexibility, and the scale of digital transformation.

"Our youthful, tech-savvy population views AI as a means to simplify repetitive tasks, enhance productivity, and transition into higher-value work. Policy support, such as the national AI roadmap, also reinforces confidence," Goyal said.

Despite the optimism, younger professionals (27-39) show more fear of job loss to AI than older age groups.

"Younger professionals are early in their careers, so they naturally weigh both the opportunities and uncertainties of AI. Our survey shows that uncertainties can lead to anxiety and fear. Older employees, closer to retirement, often feel AI will have a limited impact on their roles," Goyal said.

According to ADP's People at Work report, 37 per cent of the Indian workforce between the ages of 40-54 strongly agree that AI will positively impact their job responsibilities in the next year, the highest globally.

Pessimism primarily exists in the workforce between the ages of 27 and 39, with 19 per cent being scared that AI will replace their jobs. This drops to 15 per cent in the age group of 40-54.

To deal with this, Goyal said organisations must demystify AI by publishing role-level maps that show where AI supports rather than replaces tasks and keep communications transparent.

Citing examples, he said in India, we're already seeing AI create real value in knowledge-intensive roles. AI is being used in HR and payroll to automate compliance checks, in financial services to detect fraud, and in IT to accelerate coding and testing.

"For skilled task workers, AI is helping with predictive maintenance, inventory planning, and customer support. These applications don't replace jobs -- they allow employees to focus on solving complex problems, building relationships, and driving innovation," Goyal said.

Asked about strategies that employers should adopt to build trust, reskill employees, and ensure AI becomes a tool for empowerment rather than anxiety, Goyal said, "employers need to go beyond offering training they must ensure it is aligned with real business needs. Structured certification, digital learning, and on-the-job projects are most effective when tied to actual client demands.