AI Done Right Can Keep Workers Safe

The Economic Survey Cautioned That AI Is a Nascent Innovation, Leaving Scope for Interpretation

- Shouvik Das

The Economic Survey 2024-25 cautioned that the transition of India's workforce into the artificial intelligence (AI) era has to be smooth to prevent damage and potential unemployment. If transitions are not carefully managed, workers can experience long-lasting unemployment, with little prospect of catching up to market demands in the long run.

"India's workforce in low-skill and low-value-added services remains vulnerable to AI. Robust enabling institutions are essential to help transition workers to medium- and high-skilled jobs, where AI can augment their efforts rather than replace them," the survey said. It added that as new auxiliary tasks and sectors emerge, enabling institutions should facilitate the smooth transition of the workforce to these new jobs, reducing the damage to worker income.