Infosys sees AI as a capability enhancer, not a substitute for people, with stronger engineering skills, domain knowledge and human accountability becoming more important as the technology advances. Shaji Mathew, chief human resources officer, spoke to Poulomi Chatterjee on AI skilling, fresher hiring, Forward Deployed Engineering and governance of AI agents. Excerpts:
How is Infosys preparing its 325,000 employees for AI?
Building an AI-ready workforce is not just a learning challenge but a transformation challenge. The objective is to help people rethink how work gets done and how human expertise combines with intelligent systems. Currently, 84% of our workforce is AI-enabled. Employees are being reskilled through structured pathways to become AI-enabled professionals, AI builders and AI masters, depending on their roles. Platforms such as Lex, along with client engagements, help employees apply these skills to real business problems. Our Assessment Centre of Excellence evaluates proficiency, identifies gaps and guides employees towards personalised learning pathways.
Will AI agents eventually outnumber human employees at Infosys?
We do not view success through a ratio of AI agents to people. AI should amplify human potential, not replace it. We are using AI to automate repetitive tasks, improve productivity and support decision-making, allowing employees to focus on work requiring domain context, creativity and judgement. The opportunity lies in combining the speed and scale of AI with human expertise, enterprise context and responsible governance. As agents become more autonomous, human accountability becomes more important. Sustainable adoption will depend on employees seeing AI as a capability enhancer rather than a replacement.
Has AI changed what Infosys looks for in campus hires?
AI has not reduced the need for engineering depth; it has increased the premium on strong fundamentals. Employees must be able to evaluate, challenge and improve AI-generated outputs. We continue to look for strong engineering fundamentals, continuous learning and problem-solving abilities, alongside familiarity with AI, data, cloud, cybersecurity and software engineering. Domain understanding, adaptability, collaboration and communication are equally important as technology increasingly has to solve business problems. We have introduced specialist programmer roles at entry level that require deeper engineering expertise, with compensation of up to Rs 21 lakh a year. Last year, we recruited more than 20,000 graduates.
Which employees can move into Forward Deployed Engineering roles?
AI is creating roles that combine engineering expertise, domain knowledge and client engagement. Forward Deployed Engineers work at this intersection, helping translate advanced technology into solutions for clients. Employees with strong engineering foundations, AI capabilities and domain expertise can build towards these roles through structured learning, capability assessments and hands-on client experience. We are investing in a substantial pool of advanced engineering talent to support enterprise-scale AI adoption.
How are Infosys’ AI agents governed and where are they being used?
We are embedding agentic AI across our delivery ecosystem to improve productivity, accelerate software engineering and support enterprise AI adoption. AI is also being used in employee experience, recruitment, onboarding and learning. The long-term value of agents will come from combining intelligent systems with enterprise context, engineering expertise and human judgement. At Infosys, AI agents are governed through our Responsible by Design approach, with human oversight, security, enterprise controls and governance embedded across their lifecycle.