(Dr.R K Chadha)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the buzzword these days and a lot of discussions revolve around it in professional circles as well as in drawing-room debates and social gatherings. Almost everyone has an opinion on it and the views expressed vary depending on which part of the spectrum of society you belong to. On one end are the people who are engaged in the advancement of this new technology and argue in favor of AI and list advantages and benefits to society and on the other end are the naysayers predicting the loss of jobs leading to severe unemployment; they even predict doomsday scenarios in case AI overtakes human intelligence and refuses to obey our commands and behaves in a manner that will bring destruction to the mankind.
Hollywood movies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and our Rajnikant- starrer Robot in Tamil and its Telugu and Hindi remakes are a few examples of the latter viewpoint. Today, we live in a world that is dominated by AI and automation and there is no going back. So, there is no point in worrying, rather it is time to adapt to the technological changes that are happening at a breakneck speed and join the party by acquiring the required skills. But it is easier said than done as it involves the efforts of both the people and the government and most importantly the change in the mindsets. Historically, it is seen that every technological advancement has led to automation that displaced the human workforce with machines right from the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. But, we have always bounced back on the strength of innovations and developed alternate skills to take advantage of new technologies. History repeats itself and we are in the midst of a paradigm shift in technology with the introduction of AI that has the potential to disrupt the job market, temporarily, and lead to some level of unemployment. This is because AI systems can automate tasks that were previously done by humans with greater efficiency and cost savings for companies.
However, it’s important to note that AI can also create new jobs and opportunities. I have a hunch that AI may ultimately end up complementing jobs in several fields from scientific research to medicine and law, possibly even creating new work and jobs as demand increases. A report by PwC, one of the big four consulting firms is an eye-opener. The report estimates that while 7 million jobs could be displaced by AI in the UK alone in near future, around 7.2 million new jobs could be created as a result of the technology. The report also suggests that jobs that are most at risk are those that are repetitive and can be easily automated, while jobs that require problem-solving, creativity, and emotional intelligence will be less at risk. This may also be true, globally and India is a source of an unlimited talent pool that provides highly skilled manpower to the world needs to look inwards and play a greater role in the development of our country rather than serving the overseas masters. But, this can happen only if a conducive environment is created by the government and new jobs are created because of new technology to stop this trend. And for those who may lose their jobs due to AI, governments and the private sector will need to provide support and training to help them acquire new skills and transition into new roles. This could include programs such as retraining, education, and job placement services.As a society, we also have a responsibility to use new technology and help workers to adapt to new roles and acquire newer skills. There is a need to adopt new and better policies in education and training that will create an employable workforce. To become complementary to AI, there is a need to develop young Indians in what is called 21st-century skills that include communication, complex analytical skills that often require careful judgments of multiple factors, and creativity. The onus is on early school education till class 12 and undergraduate courses when youngsters are more receptive to new ideas and develop skills that will bring a generational change in competency and excellence.The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of the Modi government aims at making changes in our education system right from the preschool foundation stage with an emphasis on acquiring skills in several vocational courses and training very early in life. At the school level, the 5+3+3+4 system will focus on basic life skills of numeracy and literacy from grades 3 to 5 after the preschool period. In the middle stage from grades 6 to 8 coding will be introduced in the curriculum to make students feel that they can be inventors and they will have the opportunity to do internships in vocational training jobs. From grade 9 onwards, students will have the liberty to choose subjects of interest to increase motivation. They will have a choice across humanities, commerce, sciences, sports, and other vocational subjects. The grade 10 and 12 board exams will test the core capacities and competencies rather than months of coaching or rote memorization. Similarly, at the college level, the policy offers flexibility to choose subjects across different disciplines. Students won’t have to opt for a regular B.Sc, B.Com, or B. A program and they will be free to custom-make their graduation disciplines. By opening the gates to top foreign universities in India, the new policy also provides opportunities to compete at the highest level within the country. The only point of concern is less emphasis on the importance of the global language of English up to grade 5 or even 8. Though the native language has its advantages but mother tongue being the medium of instruction will create serious problems for children of families where the parents belong to different ethnicities and whose jobs are transferrable. In conclusion, the government approach looks to be practical and prudent. There is an effort to take school education towards modernization, globalization, and liberalization so that our younger generation is well equipped with the right knowledge and skills to face the onslaught of AI on automation in the coming years. There will not be any dearth of jobs for people with the right skill and education. Let us watch the outcome as proof of the pudding is in eating. (The author is a former Chief Scientist at NGRI, Hyderabad.)
