Deloitte AI Director Rohit Tandon said that contrary to popular belief, AI will replace humans. He envisioned a revolutionary era in which technology empowers the workforce, not replaces it, and stressed that the future is collaboration between AI and humans, not replacement.
Speaking to PTI, Tandon, managing director, AI and insights practice leader at Deloitte Tohmatsu, said AI will not eliminate jobs, it will just eliminate some of the easier jobs and create new roles.
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“AI will work alongside humans and replace humans. It's not just that AI will replace humans; humans will still need to be involved,” he said.
Tandon said a similar fear of jobs disappearing existed when IT, technology and computers came into the picture.
“But think about how many jobs have been created around the world thanks to IT. The same will happen with AI. Just as it is today, AI will be ubiquitous. Just as some of the largest supercomputers in existence today are available on your mobile phone, some of the most powerful AI algorithms will be freely available in your wallet or pocket.”
“It's going to be something we talk about. Whether we talk about it or not, it's just going to be a part of our lives,” he said.
He said this was not the first time the emergence of new technology had posed the threat of job losses.
“We've done this before with automation and call centers. We've automated some of the easy tasks. That leaves us with problems that are harder for humans to solve.”
“It will lead to a change in jobs. AI will be replaced by humans and AI. If you look at the job pyramid, AI will start automating easier jobs,” he noted.
He said people will use AI to supplement their ability to find knowledge and information, and then share it with others for their own benefit.
“Certain jobs will be eliminated, but more jobs will be created than will be eliminated,” Tandon said.
He said shared services, which exist in every sector, will be the first services to be impacted by AI.
“Finance, HR and some of the shared services. From an industry perspective, the energy industry is embracing some really interesting use cases that will have broad impact,” he said.
Tandon shared examples of how computer vision, AI and fast computing and processing power are helping to identify and control wildfires.
Consumerisation, banking and hospitality are also some of the sectors that are leveraging the power of AI, he said.
He further stated that while it is important to have guardrails and regulations for AI, they should be dynamic in nature.
“Some businesses will feel constrained initially, but over time, as they understand what these restrictions mean for them in the medium to long term, they will be filled with gratitude and appreciation. My advice is that these restrictions should not be temporary.”
“The pace of advancement in AI and Gen AI is so fast and we are learning every day. I am studying harder now than I was in school or college.”
“These have to be dynamic regulations. These have to be active forums that continually evaluate, poke holes in what's been built and strengthen it,” he said.
This can only be achieved if governments and businesses work together, he added.
Tandon further emphasised the role of governments in the adoption and implementation of AI, saying they should act as catalysts and not owners.
Doing so will help accelerate it and spread it around the world, he said.
“I'm talking about two pillars: computing power. I think the government has to play a big role in ensuring computing power. These GPUs are power hungry, so computing power requires a huge amount of power. The government has to help make that possible.”
“The grassroots level training, the availability of knowledge and being able to deliver it to a wider audience will also be extremely valuable,” he said.
