Skip to main content

68% of employees say, AI to partially or fully automate their jobs: IIM-A study

By Our Representative 
An Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) report has claimed that white-collar workers are ready to embrace AI-driven transformations, even as admitting that the gap in AI education and upskilling needs to be filled in.
The report, said to be amongst the earliest studies of the topic, says, it provides critical inputs for informed policymaking, strategic planning, and effective workforce development initiatives.
The Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CDSA) at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), in collaboration with the Wadhwani Foundation, released the report at an IIM-A function on the perceived and expected impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Indian white-collar workers. 
The event was attended by Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA; Prakash Kumar, CEO, Wadhwani Centre for Government Digital Transformation; Professor Sriram Sankaranarayanan, Co-Chairperson (CDSA), IIMA; and authors of the report.
The report, titled “Labour-force Perception about AI - A Study on Indian White-collar Workers”, finds that AI’s impact is not futuristic any longer; it has already begun. Some key findings from the report are:
  • 55% of employees surveyed reported that they have used AI tools at their workplaces. Furthermore, 48% of survey participants indicated that their organisations provided them training to use these tools.
  • The benefits of AI for efficiency and productivity improvement are also being experienced. 72% of respondents acknowledge that AI boosts their work performance, and 59% believe that AI complements their job functions.
  • How much disruption is expected in the job landscape for the white-collar workers? 68% of employees expect AI to partially or fully automate their jobs within the next five years. Further, 40% are concerned that their current skills may become redundant. However, the scenario is not all bleak. 53% of respondents thought AI will create new jobs.
  • The perception survey reveals some structural weaknesses which need to be addressed. The current graduation/postgraduate setup is not optimal for the AI era. The awareness and adoption of AI tools and AI training are low among recent graduates and entry-level workers (less than five years of experience). This may indicate a gap in their current education and training, which organisations can address through training and upskilling programmes.
  • Further AI adoption and awareness is uneven across industries, at least as far as the survey sample is concerned. Education, IT, manufacturing, and healthcare are actively training and exposing employees to AI. Retail and trade, and infrastructure are laggards in this aspect. Public administration is well-informed and tends to expose its employees to AI. A surprise finding in this study is the finance and insurance industry not featuring among the top industries in training and exposing their employees to AI – but this shortfall in perception may be due to the higher expectations from these industries.
Speaking during the report launch, Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, said, “We must accept the fact that AI, ML, AR-VR, and other cutting-edge technologies have transitioned from being mere elements of science fiction to becoming integral parts of our present reality. The AI age is upon us, and its influence is growing significantly within the workforce and across various industries."
Businesses and employees are realising the potential for enhanced efficiency and innovation through AI technologies, while industries are beginning to grasp the transformative impact of AI on everything from customer service to product development. This report is very timely as it provides critical insights into the growing awareness and adoption of AI by employees and businesses for long-term success”, he added.
Sharing insights about the report, Professor Anindya Chakrabarti, a faculty member in the Economics Area of IIMA and lead Principal Investigator of the study, said, “AI is a strategic imperative for India, critical for maintaining and enhancing its economic competitiveness. In face of the global concerns about the negative effects of AI on employment, the Indian corporate sector and policymakers must understand how AI can sustain and complement employment rather than substituting it."
According to him, "With a strong talent pool, a vibrant startup ecosystem, and a data-rich environment, India is well-positioned to capitalize on AI advancements. The study shows the white-collar workforce is embracing AI tools, and that is a good thing."
"Business leaders and policymakers should recognize the high adoption rate as a pivotal moment in India’s pursuit of AI advancement. The report advocates the need of AI-centric coordination at the national level to build strong collaboration among academia, industry, and government and spearhead diverse efforts to maintain a balanced path between productivity growth and concentration of economic gain”, he added.
This research report represents one of the earliest efforts to understand AI’s impact on India’s white-collar workforce, offering valuable insights for policymakers, business leaders, and the academic community for informed policy-making, strategic planning, and effective workforce development initiatives, said an IIM-A source.
The findings are based on detailed interviews with 31 business executives, a field survey of over 550 white-collar employees, and an analysis of over 70,000 job vacancies in India from public data sources.
The report is co-authored by Prof. Anindya Chakrabarti - Economics Area, IIMA; Prof. Ankur Sinha - Operation and Decision Sciences Area and Co-Chairperson (CDSA), IIMA; Prof. Aditya C. Moses - Human Resource Management Area, IIMA; Mr. Deep Narayan Mukherjee - Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG); Mr. Debjit Ghatak – former Centre Head, Brij Disa CDSA, IIMA; and Amita Todkar - Research Associate, Brij Disa CDSA, IIMA; along with Wadhwani Foundation as the research partner.
---
Click on this link to access the report

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar*  Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.
Post a Comment
Read more

Kerala government data implicates the Covid vaccines for excess deaths

By Bhaskaran Raman*  On 03 Dec 2024, Mr Unnikrishnan of the Indian Express had written an article titled: “Kerala govt data busts vaccine death myth; no rise in mortality post-Covid”. It claims “no significant change in the death rate in the 35-44 age group between 2019 and 2023”. However, the claim is obviously wrong, even to a casual observer, as per the same data which the article presents, as explained below.
1 comment
Read more

PM-JUGA: Support to states and gram sabhas for the FRA implementation and preparation and execution of CFR management plan

By Dr. Manohar Chauhan*  (Over the period, under 275(1), Ministry of Tribal Affairs has provided fund to the states for FRA implementation. Besides, some states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra allocated special fund for FRA implementation. Now PM-JUDA under “Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan(DAJGUA) lunched by Prime Minister on 2nd October 2024 will not only be the major source of funding from MoTA to the States/UTs, but also will be the major support to the Gram sabha for the preparation and execution of CFR management Plan).
Post a Comment
Read more

Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.
Post a Comment
Read more

How Amit Shah's statement on Ambedkar reflects frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion, empowerment

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remains the liberator and emancipator of India’s oppressed communities. However, attempts to box him between two Brahmanical political parties betray a superficial and self-serving understanding of his legacy. The statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha was highly objectionable, reflecting the frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion and empowerment.
Post a Comment
Read more

This book delves deep into Maoism's historical, social, and political dimensions in India

By Harsh Thakor*  "Storming the Gates of Heaven" by Amit Bhattacharya is a comprehensive study of the Indian Maoist movement. Bhattacharya examines the movement's evolution, drawing from numerous sources and showcasing his unwavering support for Charu Mazumdar's path and practice. The book, published in 2016, delves deeply into the movement's historical, social, and political dimensions.
Post a Comment
Read more

Ideological assault on dargah of Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti will disturb pluralistic legacy: Modi told

Counterview Desk Letter to the Prime Minister about "a matter of the utmost concern affecting our country's social fabric": *** We are a group of independent citizens who over the past few years have made efforts to improve the deteriorating communal relations in the country. It is abundantly clear that over the last decade relations between communities, particularly Hindus and Muslims, and to an extent Christians are extremely strained leaving these latter two communities in extreme anxiety and insecurity.
Post a Comment
Read more

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee  Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”
Post a Comment
Read more