India's IT firms have an opportunity in AI's trust deficit

The use of generative AI under human supervision can generate the assurances clients need

- SIDDHARTH PAI

Indian IT services firms are confronting a challenge with AI set to decimate their computer programming work. But an interesting vacuum will be created by AI's steady march into computer code: the AI trust crisis. In the words of my colleague Siddharth Shah, "The AI trust crisis is already here... And no one's talking about the layer that will make or break enterprise deployments," (bit.ly/3GpFXcI). This layer hinges on human oversight, transparency and explainability—precisely the 'trust' dimensions that could turn Generative AI from liability to a lucrative revenue stream for Indian providers.

Tier-1 software majors like TCS have woven GenAI into their workflows, emphasizing pilot deployments and internal automation over big-scale consulting mandates. Their strength lies in retraining developers on tools like GitHub Copilot and low-code platforms, automating boilerplate coding while retaining humans in the loop for critical paths. That 'human in the loop' ethos directly addresses one of the central concerns Shah identifies: ensuring systems remain aligned with human intentions.

Tier-2 providers such as LTI Mindtree lack TCS's scale, but they shine in agility. Their typical positioning as productivity enhancers rather than code replacers allows them to layer trust-focused oversight atop GenAI output. Without this, many enterprise deployments will stall. By doing so, they offer faster proof of concept to clients anxious about AI accuracy and auditability.