The Future of Work with AI: What Students Need to Know
If a chatbot can replace 90% of a startup’s customer support, what might happen to the jobs our parents or even we may want in the future? According to an article from the The New India Express, in 2023, a Bangalore-based startup, Dukaan replaced 90% of its customer support staff with an AI chatbot. The chatbot never took breaks, worked 24/7 and responded faster than the human employees.
What seemed like science fiction a few years ago is now a reality in India. This example shows that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just arriving; it is already here, reshaping industries and jobs before our eyes. Young people must understand the implications to prepare for the future.
Why are companies incorporating AI into their practices?
Companies are adopting AI as it saves time and money. Repetitive tasks, such as data entry and processing, report generation, scheduling, and calendar management, can all be automated. For example, Infosys uses AI to analyse data and speed up decision-making, while hospitals in India are experimenting with AI-powered diagnosis tools to reduce errors. AI not only increases efficiency but also provides businesses with a competitive advantage, enabling them to stay ahead in rapidly changing markets. According to McKinsey, 50% of companies globally are now adopting some sort of AI, and Indian firms are following quickly.
Jobs that are likely to be replaced
AI’s strength lies in automating routine, manual and repetitive tasks. Such roles that rely on such activities are vulnerable to displacement. These activities include some jobs in manufacturing (assembly line work), accounting (bookkeeping), law (paralegals), retail (cashiering), and transportation (basic driving roles with the rise of autonomous vehicles). Workers performing these monotonous tasks with limited scope for creativity or decision-making are most at risk. Customer service chatbots are already replacing call centre workers. According to a 2024 study published by Research Gate, 30% of bookkeeping roles may disappear by 2030 due to automation.
In India, this challenge is especially serious as we have a large outsourcing and call-center industry, meaning thousands of workers could lose their jobs unless they are reskilled.
Additionally, AI may increase the gap between the people who have access to a good education and technology and those who don’t. Workers who lack digital skills or training could struggle to find new jobs, while those who got a good education and tech knowledge will have many more opportunities.
Emerging opportunities created by AI
On the other hand, AI is expected to create several new jobs. The World Economic Forum predicts that AI will create 78 million jobs, even after accounting for job losses. Careers such as data scientists, AI developers, machine learning engineers and AI ethics specialists are in demand. AI is being used in healthcare for faster diagnosis, in education for smart learning apps, and in finance for detecting fraud. In India, startups like Miramai use AI for early breast cancer detection, while EMbibe applies AI to personalise education for students. These examples show that while old jobs may fade, new ones that require creativity and technical skills are growing.
How do we stay relevant?
Keeping up with all the changes AI brings is not easy, but it helps to remember what makes people different. It’s creativity, thinking in ways machines can’t. Decision making and being caring, which may not come easily to a robot. For example, designers don’t use AI tools like DALL-E or Canva’s Magic Media to completely make their design, they use all sorts of different tools, taking inspiration from all of them combining it with their creative vision. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs use bots like ChatGPT or Google Gemini to draft emails or develop new business strategies, even automate simple client interactions, freeing up time for more complex tasks.
The real power of AI lies in its use as a collaborator not a competitor. Instead of replacing humans altogether, AI supports human workers in many ways, like AI and human teams (doctors using AI diagnostic tools to detect diseases faster, but it is the doctor who analyses the results and then treats the patient. To stay relevant, we must sharpen human skills like creativity, empathy and critical thinking and embrace AI as a supporting tool.
What can we learn from the past?
History shows us that every major technology shift comes with some job losses but also creates new opportunities. For example, when the steam engine was invented, manual labour jobs in factories disappeared, but the technology also created new jobs in engineering, the coal mining industry, roles to operate the machinery in the factories and more. Similarly, when tractors were invented, they reduced the need for farm labour but, it gave rise to jobs in farm machinery manufacturing, logistics and the food industry.
Reskilling the Indian workforce
‘Reskilling’ refers to learning new skills to meet the changing job requirements. Schools and universities should start by introducing AI literacy and digital skills in classrooms early. For young people, options such as coding bootcamps, online platforms like Khan Academy and Coursera and AI workshops in colleges can build a strong foundation.
For today’s workers, lifelong learning programs are vital. The Indian government has already launched initiatives such as the Skill India Mission, but more inclusive programs are needed. Companies also need to invest in reskilling their employees rather than simply replacing them with machines.
In India, universities such as VTU and Symbiosis are introducing AI focused courses, and platforms like Nasscom’s Future Skills Prime and IIT Mandi AI programmes provide continuous learning opportunities. By preparing people for jobs like AI engineers, data scientists and prompt engineers India’s workforce will be better equipped to succeed in the AI era.
Who wins, who loses?
According to a PwC report, 44% of workers with low education are at risk of losing their jobs, while only 1% of workers with postgraduate degrees face the same risk, indicating that education someone’s job security.
Skilled workers, companies and consumers benefit the most because they can use AI to their advantage. But people in routine jobs or those without digital training are vulnerable. If they have the opportunity to reskill, they may struggle to find employment work. For example customer service people face a risk of 80% automation, even data entry and retail cashier jobs are also at a high risk.
A middle ground would involve affordable reskilling programmes so workers can move into emerging roles like cybersecurity experts and AI specialists. Governments, businesses and schools should work together to support this shift and reduce this gap.
AI’s impact on India and a broader outlook
Countries are already using AI to address their challenges. In Japan and the US, AI is helping with the labour shortages and aging populations. Whereas, India faces the challenge of reskilling its young and rapidly growing workforce.
For instance, Japan is trying to address its shortage of caregivers for its increasing ageing population by investing in AI driven ‘care robots’ like SoftBank’s robotic nurse “Pepper” or how, since 2012, Amazon has globally deployed over 750,000 robots across its operations network. Systems like Sequoia help accelerate inventory sortation while robotic arms and drive units move items throughout fulfillment centers, that helping reduce repetitive tasks.
In India, focusing on digital literacy is the Infosys Springboard, to enable students by imparting digital and life skills through curated content and there’s Google News Initiative AI Skills Academy, a 10-week program designed to empower media professionals from the newsrooms in India with foundational AI literacy and practical skills.
In India and around the world, artificial intelligence is already influencing how people live and work. For India, it offers us a chance to accelerate speed up progress in sectors such as healthcare, education and agriculture, and also opens up job opportunities. To ensure that opportunities are shared fairly it also emphasizes the pressing need for digital literacy and reskilling.
AI will continue to reshape the economy and industries worldwide but the way societies respond to the change will decide its actual effects. By treating AI as a tool to support human growth rather than a replacement for humans, replacement, the benefits of AI can be maximised.
The future will not be decided by AI but the choices we make using it. Will we allow AI to widen the divide or will we use it to create a more collaborative and inclusive workforce? It’s up to us.
Maya Malhotra
Grade 10, Mahindra International School, Pune
About our Writing Program Student
Maya is a 10th-grade student studying at Mahindra International School, Pune. She is passionate about literature, music and creative expression. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music and playing the piano, which helps her balance her academics and creativity.
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References:
The impact of artificial intelligence on employment: the role of virtual agglomeration
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on The Future of Work
The Impact of AI on Job Roles, Workforce, and Employment: What You Need to Know
How AI is reshaping the career ladder, and other trends in jobs and skills on Labour Day
AI and the Workforce: Preparing for the Jobs of the Future
The ethics of artificial intelligence: Issues and initiatives
What is artificial intelligence (AI) in business?
AI Will Create Far More Jobs Than It Will Kill
The state of AI: How organizations are rewiring to capture value
This CEO replaced 90% of support staff with an AI chatbot
IIT Mandi launches AI and Data Science Programme
Stepping up reskilling in the era of AI
VTU plans annual curriculum update
AI robots may hold key to nursing Japan’s ageing population | Reuters
Amazon Robotics deploys these 9 robots across its operations globally
Inside Japan’s long experiment in automating eldercare | MIT Technology Review
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