Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani: You can have all the AIs in the world, but ...

Infosys co-founder and chairman Nandan Nilekani emphasized that artificial intelligence will never fully replace core human capabilities such as empathy, leadership, collaboration, and creativity. Speaking at an AIMA event, Nilekani argued that these qualities will become increasingly valuable as AI continues to advance.
"You can have all the AIs in the world, but if you can't get five people to work together and collaborate, then you cannot go anywhere," Nilekani said in conversation with MoneyControl.
Rather than pursuing specific technical skills that may become obsolete, Nilekani advocated focusing on developing adaptable capabilities that AI cannot replicate. He highlighted first-principles thinking as one such skill, noting that "AI is more mechanistic in its approach. Being able to go back to first principles and analyse something is something AI cannot do."
While acknowledging that AI will impact employment, Nilekani maintained an optimistic outlook. "Some jobs will be affected—certain tasks will be automated—but very few jobs will be entirely eliminated," he told MoneyControl. "AI will make humans more productive and create new jobs we haven't even thought of yet."
The Infosys chairman also discussed India's AI development landscape, predicting significant progress in the coming year. "The government is focused on the India AI Mission and I think we will see in the next one year, some very significant models coming from India," he stated.