# India needs to reskill workforce for Artificial Intelligence: Infosys co-founder | Tech News (HT Tech)

> Gopalakrishnan allayed unknown fears of AI, terming it as a transition none can avoid but adopt in due course.

# India needs to reskill workforce for Artificial Intelligence: Infosys co-founder

## Gopalakrishnan allayed unknown fears of AI, terming it as a transition none can avoid but adopt in due course.

Aug 19 2022, 23:53 IST

![Follow on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/follow-us-facebook.png)

![Follow on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/follow-us-facebook-hover.png)

![Share](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Share.png)

![Share](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Shareclicked.png)

![Share on WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/whatsapp.png)

![Share on WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/whatsapp-hover.png)

![Share on Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/twitter.png)

![Share on Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/twitter-hover.png)

![Share on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/facebook.png)

![Share on Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/facebook-hover.png)

![Bookmark](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Bookmark.png)

![Bookmarked](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/Bookmarked.png)

![Unfazed by partial opposition to AI, Gopalakrishnan was passionate about AI for the immense benefits he saw in it.](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/rf/image_size_960x540/HT/p2/2018/07/10/Pictures/robotic-hand-working-with-virtual-graphic-interface_8b22fee6-8412-11e8-b9ce-1e6263d714a8.jpg)

Unfazed by partial opposition to AI, Gopalakrishnan was passionate about AI for the immense benefits he saw in it. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

![Author Photo](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/HTTech-new-circle-logo.png)

### By INDO ASIAN NEWS SERVICE

With new technologies disrupting businesses and changing the rules of engagement, India faces a daunting task to reskill its huge workforce for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan says.

"India has a major challenge of transitioning its young workforce to the fourth industrial revolution called AI after the eras of agriculture, manufacturing and services," Gopalakrishnan said in an interview.

Gopalakrishnan, 63, well-known as 'Kris', is one of the seven co-founders of the iconic IT firm, who became its chief executive after fellow co-founder Nandan Nilekani quit in mid-2009 to set up the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for issuing Aadhaar cards to over a billion citizens.

Also read

click here.

"As the large workforce is engaged in diverse occupations such as agriculture, manufacturing and white-collar jobs in the services sector, it needs to be re-skilled to sustain the jobs, as AI will replace traditional jobs," said Gopalakrishnan.

Originating in the mid-1950s as an academic discipline, AI involves machines emulating human intelligence. Many experts like American aerospace firm SpaceX founder Elon Musk and renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, however, feared that AI would spell doom by replacing humans as thinking machines.

As a geek, Gopalakrishnan allayed unknown fears of AI, terming it as a transition none can avoid but adopt in due course.

"AI is a transition that is bound to happen, whether we like it or not. We should rather think of preparing the workforce for it by reskilling it. We have to brace for skilled jobs, as many conventional jobs will be lost though many more will be created in allied areas," he pointed out.

Golalakrishnan, however, refused to answer any questions on Infosys' developments in the field of AI, even as the software giant has been working on the technology through its platforms like Nia over the past few years.

Though use of robots in the automobile industry led to the loss of painting jobs in assembly lines of car plants, Gopalakrishnan said on the flip side, they saved the blue-collar workforce from the harmful exposure to chemical paints.

Hawking (1942-2018), had termed the emergence of AI as the worst event in the history of civilisation and urged its propounders to find ways to control its development.

Participating in a web summit technology conference at Lisbon in Portugal on November 6, 2017, Hawking said computers could, in theory, exceed human intelligence (HI).

"Unless we learn how to prepare for, and avoid, the potential risks, AI could be the worst event in the history of our civilisation. It brings dangers, like powerful autonomous weapons, or new ways for the few to oppress the many. It could bring great disruption to our economy," Hawking asserted.

Echoing Hawking, Telsa co-founder Musk charged that AI was more dangerous than nuclear warheads and called for a regulatory authority to oversee its development as super intelligence.

"The biggest issue I see with so-called AI experts is they think they know more than they do, and they think they are smarter than they actually are," said Musk at a tech conference at Austin in Texas on March 12, as reported in the US media.

Countering the likes of Hawking and Musk, Gopalakrishnan said there was no simple solution with disruptive technologies but to adopt them to sustain and thrive.

"If we don't prepare as a country to re-skill our people for an AI-led future, there will be social unrest because their jobs will become redundant," he reiterated.

Unfazed by partial opposition to AI, Gopalakrishnan was passionate about AI for the immense benefits he saw in it.

"As in every technology, risks are inherent even in AI, though I see a bright future in its adoption. Through AI in key areas like healthcare, we can reduce the cost of technology to improve the quality of life," he affirmed.

Key sectors such as health, education and transportation will be impacted by AI, with machine intelligence reducing labour and redundant activities.

"AI is reaching the critical stage of consumerisation, becoming a technology for our daily use. It can create opportunities to spur growth," Gopalakrishnan claimed.

In this context, Gopalakrishnan, chairman of India Inc apex body CII's innovation cell, clarified that the industry, academia and the government have to share the responsibility of getting the workforce prepared for AI-led jobs.

"The preparedness should begin with training undergraduate students on AI by including it in their courses," he added.

In a technology-driven world, Gopalakrishnan said India's policies have to strike a balance between protecting an individual's privacy and promoting the tech medium.

Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

10 Jul, 13:02 IST

elon musk

infosys

artificial intelligence

spacex

![HT Tech Awards](https://tech.hindustantimes.com/ht-tech-power-list-awards-2026/httech-awards-banner-new.webp)

71,589,384,228,989

NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS

![View all](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/view-all-icon.png)

## Tips & Tricks

![Ghibli-style art](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### How to turn your photos into Ghibli-style art with ChatGPT for free: Step-by-step guide

![How to create an invitation using iPhone’s new Apple Invites app- Step-by-step guide](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### How to create an invitation using iPhone’s new Apple Invites app- Step-by-step guide

![Apple TV app arrives on Android phones and tablets: What you get and how to install it](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Apple TV app arrives on Android phones and tablets: What you get and how to install it

![Vodafone Idea OTT plans](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Vodafone Idea users can now stream 17 OTT apps with one subscription: Here's how

![Android data transfer methods](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### How to transfer data from one Android to another using Google backup, USB-C cable, and more

## Editor’s Pick

![iPhone 16e launched with A18 chip, Apple AI—bringing flagship power on a budget: Check specs, price](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### iPhone 16e launched in India: All details about the new budget mobile from Apple

![DeepSeek was founded in China with only a fraction of the budget of the top AI companies in the US.](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### DeepSeek AI: How it works, who’s behind it, how it’s different from ChatGPT, and its big US market impact explained

![iPhone 17 Air likely to get this feature that iPhone 17 Pro models may miss out on](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### iPhone 17 Air likely to get this feature that iPhone 17 Pro models may miss out on

![Google Whisk AI explained: How remixing works, availability, and how it differs from Gemini](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Google Whisk AI explained: How remixing works, availability, and how it differs from Gemini

![iOS 18.4 beta arriving soon: Know why it is the biggest iPhone update](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### iOS 18.4 beta arriving soon: Know why it is the biggest iPhone update

## Trending Stories

![Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order

![Infinix Note 50s 5G+](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Infinix Note 50s 5G+ set to launch in India with 64MP camera and MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC

![Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more

![Apple Intelligence AI training](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Apple plans to train AI using your on-device data without accessing personal content or emails: Report

![CMF Buds 2](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### CMF Buds 2 key features and price revealed ahead of April 28 launch: Details inside

keep up with tech

![Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-facebook.png)

![Twitter](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-twitter.png)

![WhatsApp](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-whatsApp.png)

![Facebook](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/tech-facebook.png)

## Gaming

![Check out these five gaming monitors under  <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>20,000,](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Top 5 gaming monitors under ₹20000 you should consider

![gaming consoles](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Grab gaming consoles at discounted rates during Amazon Great Indian Festival: Up to 72% off

![Pokémon GO Wild Area 2025](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Pokémon GO Wild Area 2025 to bring Grimmsnarl family, Shiny Hatenna, and global challenges

![Shade Silver](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Shade Silver free on Steam for a limited time: Here’s how to get it

![Call of duty](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/ht-tech-bg-img-90-66.png)

### Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 skips Switch 2 at launch, release date and price leak

![View all](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/view-all-icon.png)

## Trending News

### Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order

![Airtel 5G SIM card will now be delivered in 10 minutes with Blinkit- How to order](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif)

### Infinix Note 50s 5G+ set to launch in India with 64MP camera and MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC

![Infinix Note 50s 5G+](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif)

### Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more

![Xiaomi X Pro QLED Series sale starts in India: Check price, availability, and more](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif)

### Apple plans to train AI using your on-device data without accessing personal content or emails: Report

![Apple Intelligence AI training](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif)

### CMF Buds 2 key features and price revealed ahead of April 28 launch: Details inside

![CMF Buds 2](https://images.livemint.com/static/static/1x1_img.gif)

## Trending Gadgets

Mobiles

Laptops

Tablets

![HT Tech](https://images.hindustantimes.com/tech/static/revamp/images/png/HT_tech-new.gif)

- https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/india-needs-to-reskill-workforce-for-artificial-intelligence-infosys-co-founder-story-udLxJK8fK5MSv0M0FdgyNN.html