From Boardroom to Backend: Narayana Murthy Champions the Great Graduate Equalizer - "AI"

Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy has been making waves with his unapologetic assertion that management and technology postgraduates are not fundamentally different in the age of AI. In an interview with Moneycontrol, Murthy asserted that both groups are equally valuable, both with complementary strengths but with differing strengths complementing each other as artificial intelligence revolutionizes the business landscape and the workforce.

 

No Hierarchy, but Complementarity

Murthy dismissed the thought of there being a hierarchy between technology and management graduates. He explained, "Management graduates ask 'what' needs to be done, while technology graduates ask 'how' to do it." These two are required for effective problem-solving and organisational relevance.

 

AI as an Equalizer:

To Murthy, artificial intelligence is a technological marvel that boosts productivity and problem-solving ability for any professional regardless of their background. In his view, AI provides new opportunities for technical and management professionals, with their functions more intertwined than ever.

 

Hope for India's Talent:

Murthy expressed great confidence in India's best minds, saying, "Both are needed. And since these are some of the brightest minds that we have in the country, I am very, very hopeful." He is of the opinion that the diversity of the talent pool in the country is a huge strength while competing with the world in AI.

 

AI Will Help, Not Take Away Jobs:

To allay fears of job loss, Murthy told professionals that AI is a technology to enhance and enable human productivity, but not to replace jobs. He discussed his own experience with AI technologies like ChatGPT, under which he had seen a remarkable increase in work efficiency and productivity.

 

Call for Upskilling:

Murthy emphasized continuous learning and change. He mentioned initiatives like Infosys's AI learning initiative, which will reskill over 300,000 people, as evidence of Indian technology expertise's capability to excel in an AI-first world. I don't find any distinction between a management graduate and a technology graduate as they are solving the same problem at two levels. Both are needed. — NR Narayana Murthy 

 

Source: Times of India, Moneycontrol, TechGig