'AI is an assistant to humans... it will have net zero effect on jobs'

The world today is in the midst of rapid, multifaceted technological evolution that's changing how we live, work, communicate, commute and interact.

- Vishal Mathur

Few tech leaders have the vantage position of such a time that Revathi Advaithi, CEO of Flex, commands. The technology company works across industries - data centres, automotive tech, consumer tech and health care - laying foundations on which other companies build their products.

"My thesis is, AI is an assistant to humans. The debate of whether AI takes jobs away, of course, has relevancy to a company like ours which has a large employee base but I think it's somewhere in the middle. I think it'll have a net zero effect in terms of employment overall.

That's controversial because a lot of people don't believe that," said Advaithi, in a virtual session at the 22nd Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

But it isn't just AI as we know it, but a looming spectre of AGI, or artificial general intelligence, which is supposed to be even smarter.

"It (the debate) is a lot about AGI that is going to replace humans. I think the productivity boost that AI will bring will probably not reduce jobs directly, but redistribute them jobs and up-skill the workforce overall," she added.

Advaithi emphasised the importance of "co-pilots" - AI-based assistants customised for specialised workflows across industries.

"I agree with the co-pilot concept of AI agents. It'll all be about empowering humans, not replacing them," she said, drawing from her approach towards understanding people and "what makes us tick".