‘AI doing cognitive work is game changer’

‘AI doing cognitive work is game changer’ 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  24.08.2024 

Ahmedabad : Since the 1960s, robots have been doing manual labour, and with the rise of information technology, computers have managed data processing and back-end tasks. As new technologies emerged, they both replaced and created jobs. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing beyond science fiction, with digital neural networks generating images, composing music, creating videos, and even writing code and speeches. At the launch of the report ‘Labour Force Perception 

About AI: A Study on Indian White-Collar Workers’ by the Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CDSA) at IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A), experts highlighted that generative AI is a major game changer, taking on tasks previously associated with human cognition. The report was launched by Prof Bharat Bhasker, IIM-A director; Prakash Kumar, CEO of Wadhwani Centre; Prof Sriram Sankaranarayanan, co-chair of CDSA; and the authors. Prof Ankur Sinha said that while technology has long influenced mechanical work, AI now tackles cognitive tasks. Prof Aditya Moses mentioned the difficulty of placing AI within legal frameworks due to its evolving nature. Challenges include differentiating human from AIgenerated content, especially concerning issues like celebrity impersonation and deep fakes.

‘55% of executives use AI tools’ 

The survey revealed that the AI has already made in-roads in India Inc as 55% of executives across 10-odd sectors surveyed said that they are already using AI tools at their workplace. About 49% were trained by their own organizations for the same. The study conducted by experts at Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at IIM-A identified education, IT, manufacturing and healthcare as sectors with high adoption of AI. Prof Anindya Chakrabarti, a co-author of the report, said that the adoption of AI is much faster than expected. 

“More than half of respondents already using AI at work, particularly those with 6 to 25 years of experience. The usage is relatively low at entry and leadership levels,” he said, stressing the need for youth capacity building and informed policymaking. About 70% of respondents believe upskilling in AI is crucial for career growth, with 52% seeking training for their current roles. Prof Ankur Sinha, another author, said that while employees are exploring public domain AI tools, many organizations are adapting them for specific operations as the field evolves. 

“It is an emerging field, and we expect the framework to evolve simultaneously.” 60% fear AI will claim jobs, 53% expect new opportunities: Survey Edu, IT, Manufacturing, Healthcare Lead In Adopting AI Ahmedabad :How will Artificial Intelligence (AI) impact white collar jobs in India? A survey by IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) faculties with industry experts revealed that 60% executives employed with major firms in country feared job loss agreeing that AI will automate their job while 53% hoped AI creates new jobs. 

The survey covering 567 executives, 31 industry leaders and analysing 70,000 AI job listings revealed that employees perceive AI will have a greater impact on jobs displacement in the future. Compared to 48% who believed AI is replacing jobs in their industry, a higher number of 60% employees believed AI will replace jobs in their sec tor in the next five years. The survey, ‘Labour-force perception about AI: A study on Indian white-collar workers’ was released at IIM-A on Friday with stakeholders.