‘AI impact may affect 2 million tech jobs’

But may also create 4 mn new jobs by 2031, says NITI

- VIKAS DHOOT

The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) could lead to as many as two million job losses in India’s tech sector which employs about eight million people, but it could also create four million new job roles over the next five years, according to a NITI Aayog report released on Monday.

“(If) you do nothing... you are bound to lose jobs. Don’t look at it as just 2 million jobs as those 2 million probably support an ecosystem of 20 to 30 million others, as their income moves through the economy, with demand for both goods and services, and creates sustenance for many more,” NITI Aayog Chief Eexecutive Officer (CEO) BVR Subrahmanyam said.

“Are you going to be minus 2 million, or are you going to go above 8 million to 10 to 12 million? We can go up or down... Job profiles are changing, the nature of expertise is changing, processes will change. So massive changes are coming,” he emphasised.