India’s AI opportunity lies in taking technology to millions: Nandan Nilekani

Nandan NilekaniInfosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani on Tuesday said that India’s biggest opportunity lies in making AI technology accessible to millions rather than building the most powerful models.Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi, Nilekani highlighted that the country’s past accomplishments would be a boon in bringing AI applications to businesses and individuals."India will be a leader in how AI is diffused and delivered to people at scale," he said.He said that adopting technology takes time, which creates opportunities for enterprises to transform their operations.Optimistic about the nascent techNilekani has a contrasting view to that of the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, who warned that AI is like “a slow-moving tsunami” for the global market, which would, in turn, affect at least 40 per cent of jobs.He alluded to the need for IT companies like Infosys to be on the rise, rather than waning.“We are going to see more work coming our way," he said, arguing that business transformation involves far more than writing code.Nilekani estimated that technology accounts for only 30 per cent of a typical technology project, while the rest involves governance, guardrails and understanding business requirements.He also says that with AI taking over routine tasks, new opportunities would arise in understanding client requirements, managing organisational change, and implementing technological solutions.Small businesses: A means to drive job creationThe Infosys non-executive chairman showed confidence in India’s small-business economy, stating that AI will not disrupt businesses with three or five people; hence, it could create substantial employment opportunities.He also remains hopeful about the country's ability to create employment for its young population, noting that it is better positioned than many other economies to generate jobs.He said technology can help solve challenges such as examinations.

Nilekani is part of the task force constituted to make India’s competitive examinations leak-proof.