Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal urged young Indians to “make technology their best friend’ in a social media post on Tuesday. The remarks came amid growing growing concerns that artificial intelligence will soon ‘take over the workplace’ and make many jobs redundant. Several companies have initiated layoffs and hiring freezes in recent years as they use AI to replace human workers in various roles.
“I would like to ask all young Indians to make technology your best friend. We are already in a digital age, moving towards using more and more AI. The basic skill set required by our youth to succeed may be a little different from before. Our youth need to catch up with their peers on skills like how to send emails, do basic calculations using Excel, create presentations, even do basic coding,” he wrote on LinkedIn.
Agarwal also stressed the need to “empower each Indian” and have schools adapt and teach children “real-world skills”. Indians code for the world, he added, noting that the country had the “best minds in IT”.
“There is no need to fear digital or AI. Using them helps us become more productive and more prosperous,” he added.
According to the Future of Jobs report published by the World Economic Forum earlier this year, 40% of employers now expect to reducde their workforce where AI can automate tasks. Technology is projected projected to be the most disruptive force in the labour market with trends in AI and information processing technology likely to create 11 million jobs — while simultaneously displacing 9 million others.
But as entry-level roles decline and salary structures change, upskilling has become the need of the hour. Governments around the world appear to agree with Agarwal on this point — with efforts already underway to improve job training for skilled trades, changes to the education system and more.a