Since the release of AI tools like as Copilot and ChatGPT, the IT sector has been in a state of panic.
Industries are changing dramatically, and AI has had a huge influence on the IT sector, raising worries about its consequences on job and worker needs.
Furthermore, leaders such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have warned that AI may eventually replace coders.
Former HCL CEO Vineet Nayar recently warned in an exclusive interview with India Today Tech that AI might reduce the number of IT jobs by 70%.
Statements like these have gone viral, adding to the anxiety of those in the IT industry and those wishing to be a part of it.
However, we recently met with one of India’s leading IT college directors, who stated that “there is no need to panic.”
“When people talk about AI, they think about computers and how they will eliminate employment. But that’s only one aspect of it. People are not talking enough about the employment that AI will create.
We will need to create AI tools, AI apps, AI-powered services, and AI support systems. All of this will be produced by humans.
This indicates that a significant number of new employment would be created,” says Professor Debabrata Das, Director of IIIT Bangalore.
Das gave us the example of phoning a customer service center a few years ago, which normally meant spending hours on the phone describing your problems before being moved to other departments.
Currently, the bulk of these customer service contacts are automated. A pre-recorded voice leads you through the many possibilities, but if none of them work for you, you can always connect with a human.
Similarly, Das believes that while AI and automation may replace certain conventional occupations in the future, future jobs would emphasize new problem-solving skills.
“Some issues will be handled by AI, but some will still be handled by humans,” he said.
Das believes that while AI will automate ordinary operations, it will be unable to solve new issues or perform new tasks.
Humans will continue to be required to solve current issues, invent answers and algorithms, and incorporate them into the existing list of AI algorithms.
AI will intervene only after humans have found answers to unresolved issues.
However, the uncertainty in the IT sector is not limited to new opportunities, but also includes job loss. Thousands of workers in the IT business have lost their jobs during the last 12-15 months.
And the employment layoffs have not slowed down. Over 34,000 people were reportedly laid off from more than 100 digital corporations, including Google and Amazon, in only the first two months of 2024.