Generative AI like ChatGPT will be a co-worker, not replace jobs

Generative AI, like ChatGPT, has become an increasingly prevalent topic in recent months. Some people fear that these advanced technologies will replace jobs and cause unemployment. Now, Milind Lakkad, the chief human resources officer (CHRO) of the country’s largest IT services firm TCS, has said that generative AI will be a co-worker, not a job replacer.

In an interview with PTI, Lakkad said, “..it (generative AI) will be a co-worker. It will be a co-worker and that co-worker will take time for them to understand the context of the customer. It is not that jobs will get replaced, but the job definitions will change.”

Generative AI, also known as creative AI, refers to the use of algorithms and machine learning models to create new content, such as images, music, and even text. The technology behind generative AI is rapidly advancing, and ChatGPT is an excellent example of the amazing capabilities of these systems.

ChatGPT, a large language model trained by OpenAI, can generate human-like responses to questions and conversations. It does this by analysing vast amounts of data and using machine learning algorithms to understand patterns and context.

The emergence of platforms like ChatGPT has sparked concerns over the need for human expertise in delivering work offered by technology companies. With examples of entire code generation through these platforms, there are fears that they may lead to significant job losses in the tech industry. This has been cited as one of the reasons for the massive layoffs by major tech companies globally.

According to Lakkad, understanding the context in which a customer operates is crucial, and continuously evolving to differentiate from the competition is essential. The use of generative AI platforms in various industries will result in varying degrees of human involvement. While it may reduce the need for tedious jobs with repetitive tasks, there will still be a demand for workers across the hierarchy as they develop crucial contextual skills.

Lakkad believes that generative AI will facilitate collaboration rather than replacement, and will not change business models. These tools will improve productivity, work consistency, and reduce the need for governance while accelerating delivery and minimising peripheral functions. TCS has already implemented these tools in some areas, with more implementation expected in the future. Lakkad anticipates changes in training to occur as a result, and TCS is already preparing for future requirements in this regard. The full scope of generative AI’s impact will become clearer in two years’ time.

While TCS has confirmed that the company is not planning any layoffs but there has been a bevvy of layoffs in tech firms with Meta, Google, Microsoft, Dell, Match Group, and many more laying off over 1,00,000 people combined. PTI