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Job vs AI: For the first time, the Secretary of the IT Ministry has said in an open forum that the threat to jobs is increasing due to AI. Especially employees working in offices may lose their jobs due to this.
New Delhi. Talks that were being held in silence till now regarding the increasing threat to jobs from Artificial Intelligence i.e. AI, are now being talked about on an open platform. This time, the government representative has directly highlighted the threat to jobs from AI. He said in blunt words that the biggest threat from AI is to the jobs of those people who work sitting in the office. Now AI has started leaving its impact the most on such sectors where smart work is required.
Secretary, Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology S. Krishnan said that artificial intelligence (AI) poses the biggest threat to the jobs of those working in offices. Speaking at industry body FICCI’s ‘AI India’ conference, Krishnan said that since AI is now directly challenging the tasks related to thinking and analysis, the jobs of office workers are at greatest risk.
Learn lessons from the last industrial revolution
The Secretary said that if we look at the previous industrial revolutions, most of the changes that were brought were related to physical needs. This means that there have been more changes in getting the work done by automatic machines instead of humans. Now, for the first time, AI is actually replacing deliberate work. Therefore, those who do work related to thinking or analysis, their jobs are most at risk due to AI. This time the fight is not about physical but about mental change.
Despite the danger, AI is necessary
Krishnan stressed the significant potential of AI in increasing productivity, especially in developing economies like India, despite the threat of loss of jobs. He argued that the potential to create new employment opportunities through skill development far outweighs the current loss of jobs. The Secretary said that the immediate temptation for many companies may be to focus on early successes and forget about the long-term problems that may arise in the future. But, as a government, we are concerned about both aspects of this matter.
Government worried about the impact but change necessary
The Secretary said that it is not that we are not concerned about the impact on jobs but we believe that the opportunities for creating new types of jobs in new sectors are much greater. However, this is possible mainly through skill development, advanced skill development and talent development. This is a task that is common to all of us. This is not just the work of the government, this is not the work of just any industry. Many stakeholders will be involved in this process and everyone will have to play their role well.
