AI Boosts Demand for Human Capability, TechGig

Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani said the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will increase the demand for human capability, even as enterprises widely adopt coding automation and AI agents.

In his message to shareholders in Infosys’s FY26 annual report, Nilekani highlighted that the technology industry is undergoing a significant transition, making the role of IT services companies more critical as enterprises struggle to scale AI deployments.

Addressing the AI Deployment Gap

Nilekani reiterated that enterprises are facing a deployment gap rather than an opportunity gap in AI adoption. Companies are struggling to integrate AI into existing legacy systems and governance structures.

He noted that moving from pilot projects to scaled deployment is where most enterprises stall, entangled in outdated architecture, organisational inertia, and evolving regulatory frameworks.

“What still matters is first-principles thinking: learning the underlying concept before reaching for the tool. The demand for human capability grows, not shrinks,” Nilekani stated.

He cited World Economic Forum data predicting that while 92 million jobs could be displaced globally by 2030, 170 million new jobs could also be created, resulting in a net gain of 78 million jobs.

Workforce Skilling and Modernisation Needs

Nilekani emphasised that AI-driven productivity gains will reshape jobs, creating fresh demand for workers with new skills and a stronger understanding of enterprise systems.

Infosys is preparing its workforce for this transition through large-scale AI skilling and redeployment initiatives, with 84% of its workforce already enabled on AI. The company also recruited over 20,000 college graduates in FY26.

He also highlighted that enterprises are increasingly seeking AI-led legacy modernisation, cybersecurity upgrades, and technical debt reduction.

This creates a substantial business opportunity for IT services firms, as trillions of dollars of enterprise capability reside in technology built for an earlier era, making technical debt a strategic liability in the AI age.

Nilekani concluded that trusted technology partners with deep client relationships and strong execution capabilities would be essential in helping enterprises blend AI models and agents with traditional enterprise systems.