Microsoft’s India and South Asia President Puneet Chandok said on Friday that artificial intelligence will not take away people’s jobs. Speaking at the Microsoft AI Tour, where CEO Satya Nadella was also present, Chandok said the real danger today is refusing to learn new skills.
Chandok explained that AI will not replace entire jobs but will break them into different tasks. “AI will not steal jobs. It will dissect jobs and unbundle them,” he said. He added that the old idea of learning once and working in the same kind of job for life no longer works. “You and I are the last generation to have stable, long-term careers. Our children will do a portfolio of things,” he said.
He stressed that constant learning is essential in the AI era. “The real pink slip is refusal to learn,” Chandok said, explaining that people must keep upgrading their skills to stay relevant. “We are fighting a guerrilla battle against irrelevance every day,” he added. He compared learning to an oxygen mask and remarked that people in Delhi understand better than anyone how important oxygen can be.
In his address, Satya Nadella said companies must treat data as their most important asset in the age of AI. He said AI models may seem like common tools now, but using data wisely will set companies apart. “You have to use data in the right context with AI,” Nadella said.
Nadella also shared examples of Microsoft’s AI use in India. He said Maharashtra is using Microsoft tools for cyber safety in Nagpur and that these tools have reduced cybercrime investigation time by 80 percent. He added that Microsoft is also working with companies such as Adani Cement, Yes Bank, Aditya Birla Group and LTIMindtree on AI projects.
