Amit Kapoor noted in an exclusive conversation with Ananya Dasgupta on The Statesman Talk podcast that while AI brings with it huge opportunities, such tools could make one dependent on them.
Amit Kapoor, a senior economist, has issued a warning amidst the rapid rise in availability and usage of artificial intelligence tools, saying people in the future will even forget how to read. Describing AI as a double-edged sword, Kapoor called for doing away with complete dependence on artificial intelligence like is being propagated today.
He noted in an exclusive conversation with Ananya Dasgupta on The Statesman Talk podcast that while AI brings with it huge opportunities, such tools could make one dependent on them.
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Amidst the AI juggernaut, Kapoor foresees a massive change in jobs that do not demand high-end, deep analytical skills, like coding services and call centre jobs which are already vanishing. However, there will always be demand for jobs that require specialized skills, he adds.
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“The skillsets will change over a period of time, we will have to reskill ourselves – there are going to be higher order skills that will have to be imparted,” he told The Statesman Talk.
“If you talk about doctors, you will see the whole reshaping of the profession – diagnostics are going to go somewhere else because AI will be able to diagnose quickly. So, doctors will take help – but at the end of the day, the final diagnostic capability will be in human hand. So the skills for doctors will improve, they will become better surgeons. They will have more in-depth information to go deeper into research. It will accentuate our learning and create opportunities of a magnitude we have not thought of,” Kapoor added.
According to him, AI will give rise to a new class of talent, of jobs and of opportunities. The only thing that will be key is how we learn.
Children, read more
For children, Kapoor had something important to say: read, read, and read. According to him, critical thinking will become a key differentiator in the AI age and this ability is developed by reading.
“Critical thinking happens when you read. When you are reading you are building intellect, certain knowledge repository. So, what you call a gut feeling, it’s actually not. It is because it’s embedded in your mind.”
“The second important thing is going to be mathematical skills. Basic mathematical skills will become very important as we go along. Mathematics gives you analytical skills which are far more profound than anything else,” Kapoor stated further.
He also noted the recent ban on social media in Australia, advocating that children below 13 should not be allowed to use phones.
On the podcast, Kapoor also talked about safety of private data vis a vis government and private players, addressing the skill gap in the country, the national credit framework and much more. Watch the complete episode here.
Amit Kapoor is the Honorary Chairman of the Institute for Competitiveness and a leading expert in strategy and economic competitiveness. Kapoor has significantly contributed to NITI Aayog and the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) through projects like the Competitiveness Roadmap for India@100 and Ease of Living Index. He is an affiliate faculty at Harvard Business School.
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