Advice for students: Stop resisting AI, instead harness its power | Mumbai News – The Times of India
Mumbai: In a world increasi-ngly defined by artificial intelligence, the greatest mistake would be to resist it, rather th-an harness its power. That was the message Vikas Chadha, MD and CEO of GI Outsourcing, delivered to a hall full of students at Vijay Patil School of Management on Friday.
Walking them through the evolution of AI — from its early days of trepidation and warnings of mass job losses to the present, where it is reshaping industries — Chadha urged students to embrace the transformation. “It’s not about jobs disappearing,” he said, “but about skills, not degrees,” that will determine who thrives in the workforce of tomorrow.
His address was part of The Times of India’s ‘Leaders on Campus’ initiative, where industry titans meet young minds to share insights on the shifting tides of business and technology.
Chadha grounded his argument in experience. “At our KPO, AI-powered analytics reduced error rates by nearly 30%, freeing our team to focus on high-level advisory roles,” he said. Repetitive, clerical jobs, he warned, would soon be the domain of AI agents. The smart move for students? Seek roles AI cannot easily replicate — those requiring creativity, strategy, and human intuition.
And yet, with change comes opportunity. Chadha mapped the landscape of emerging careers: Digital transformation consultancy, AI-human collaboration management, fintech and smart finance, AI ethics and governance, cybersecurity, digital risk management, sustainability, and urban innovation. The jobs of the future, he emphasised, will belong to those who master these domains.
Vandana Mishra Chaturvedi, vice chancellor of D Y Patil University, echoed his sentiment, reframing AI not as an autonomous force, but as just a tool — a reflection, not a replacement, of human intelligence. She said: “A university offers faculty and faculties, but what matters is how you bridge the gap between academia and industry. The real question is—what do you take away from these conversations? What do you change?”
In a challenge laced with inspiration, Chaturvedi called on students to seek innovation not in boardrooms, but in their own backyard. “Walk through the medical school — can you build an AI-driven app for basic disease diagnostics? Visit the herbal garden—what solutions are waiting to be discovered? Step into the cafeteria— see how food cost is managed?” With a final spark of possibility, she urged them to dream bigger. “Imagine an app that, by the tone of your voice, knows what you’re craving,” she mused. “Go. Take the initiative.”
Mumbai: In a world increasi-ngly defined by artificial intelligence, the greatest mistake would be to resist it, rather th-an harness its power. That was the message Vikas Chadha, MD and CEO of GI Outsourcing, delivered to a hall full of students at Vijay Patil School of Management on Friday.
Walking them through the evolution of AI — from its early days of trepidation and warnings of mass job losses to the present, where it is reshaping industries — Chadha urged students to embrace the transformation. “It’s not about jobs disappearing,” he said, “but about skills, not degrees,” that will determine who thrives in the workforce of tomorrow.
His address was part of The Times of India’s ‘Leaders on Campus’ initiative, where industry titans meet young minds to share insights on the shifting tides of business and technology.
Chadha grounded his argument in experience. “At our KPO, AI-powered analytics reduced error rates by nearly 30%, freeing our team to focus on high-level advisory roles,” he said. Repetitive, clerical jobs, he warned, would soon be the domain of AI agents. The smart move for students? Seek roles AI cannot easily replicate — those requiring creativity, strategy, and human intuition.
And yet, with change comes opportunity. Chadha mapped the landscape of emerging careers: Digital transformation consultancy, AI-human collaboration management, fintech and smart finance, AI ethics and governance, cybersecurity, digital risk management, sustainability, and urban innovation. The jobs of the future, he emphasised, will belong to those who master these domains.
Vandana Mishra Chaturvedi, vice chancellor of D Y Patil University, echoed his sentiment, reframing AI not as an autonomous force, but as just a tool — a reflection, not a replacement, of human intelligence. She said: “A university offers faculty and faculties, but what matters is how you bridge the gap between academia and industry. The real question is—what do you take away from these conversations? What do you change?”
In a challenge laced with inspiration, Chaturvedi called on students to seek innovation not in boardrooms, but in their own backyard. “Walk through the medical school — can you build an AI-driven app for basic disease diagnostics? Visit the herbal garden—what solutions are waiting to be discovered? Step into the cafeteria— see how food cost is managed?” With a final spark of possibility, she urged them to dream bigger. “Imagine an app that, by the tone of your voice, knows what you’re craving,” she mused. “Go. Take the initiative.”
Walking them through the evolution of AI — from its early days of trepidation and warnings of mass job losses to the present, where it is reshaping industries — Chadha urged students to embrace the transformation. “It’s not about jobs disappearing,” he said, “but about skills, not degrees,” that will determine who thrives in the workforce of tomorrow.
His address was part of The Times of India’s ‘Leaders on Campus’ initiative, where industry titans meet young minds to share insights on the shifting tides of business and technology.
Chadha grounded his argument in experience. “At our KPO, AI-powered analytics reduced error rates by nearly 30%, freeing our team to focus on high-level advisory roles,” he said. Repetitive, clerical jobs, he warned, would soon be the domain of AI agents. The smart move for students? Seek roles AI cannot easily replicate — those requiring creativity, strategy, and human intuition.
And yet, with change comes opportunity. Chadha mapped the landscape of emerging careers: Digital transformation consultancy, AI-human collaboration management, fintech and smart finance, AI ethics and governance, cybersecurity, digital risk management, sustainability, and urban innovation. The jobs of the future, he emphasised, will belong to those who master these domains.
Vandana Mishra Chaturvedi, vice chancellor of D Y Patil University, echoed his sentiment, reframing AI not as an autonomous force, but as just a tool — a reflection, not a replacement, of human intelligence. She said: “A university offers faculty and faculties, but what matters is how you bridge the gap between academia and industry. The real question is—what do you take away from these conversations? What do you change?”
In a challenge laced with inspiration, Chaturvedi called on students to seek innovation not in boardrooms, but in their own backyard. “Walk through the medical school — can you build an AI-driven app for basic disease diagnostics? Visit the herbal garden—what solutions are waiting to be discovered? Step into the cafeteria— see how food cost is managed?” With a final spark of possibility, she urged them to dream bigger. “Imagine an app that, by the tone of your voice, knows what you’re craving,” she mused. “Go. Take the initiative.”
Mumbai: In a world increasi-ngly defined by artificial intelligence, the greatest mistake would be to resist it, rather th-an harness its power. That was the message Vikas Chadha, MD and CEO of GI Outsourcing, delivered to a hall full of students at Vijay Patil School of Management on Friday.
Walking them through the evolution of AI — from its early days of trepidation and warnings of mass job losses to the present, where it is reshaping industries — Chadha urged students to embrace the transformation. “It’s not about jobs disappearing,” he said, “but about skills, not degrees,” that will determine who thrives in the workforce of tomorrow.
His address was part of The Times of India’s ‘Leaders on Campus’ initiative, where industry titans meet young minds to share insights on the shifting tides of business and technology.
Chadha grounded his argument in experience. “At our KPO, AI-powered analytics reduced error rates by nearly 30%, freeing our team to focus on high-level advisory roles,” he said. Repetitive, clerical jobs, he warned, would soon be the domain of AI agents. The smart move for students? Seek roles AI cannot easily replicate — those requiring creativity, strategy, and human intuition.
And yet, with change comes opportunity. Chadha mapped the landscape of emerging careers: Digital transformation consultancy, AI-human collaboration management, fintech and smart finance, AI ethics and governance, cybersecurity, digital risk management, sustainability, and urban innovation. The jobs of the future, he emphasised, will belong to those who master these domains.
Vandana Mishra Chaturvedi, vice chancellor of D Y Patil University, echoed his sentiment, reframing AI not as an autonomous force, but as just a tool — a reflection, not a replacement, of human intelligence. She said: “A university offers faculty and faculties, but what matters is how you bridge the gap between academia and industry. The real question is—what do you take away from these conversations? What do you change?”
In a challenge laced with inspiration, Chaturvedi called on students to seek innovation not in boardrooms, but in their own backyard. “Walk through the medical school — can you build an AI-driven app for basic disease diagnostics? Visit the herbal garden—what solutions are waiting to be discovered? Step into the cafeteria— see how food cost is managed?” With a final spark of possibility, she urged them to dream bigger. “Imagine an app that, by the tone of your voice, knows what you’re craving,” she mused. “Go. Take the initiative.”
