AI will create jobs: Accenture India Chairman
Artificial Intelligence will allow people to focus on more high value tasks, says Rekha Menon
Accenture, which now has over 50 per cent of
its revenues coming from digital, is betting big on Artificial
Intelligence as the company feels AI has the ability to enable
socio-economic development in India, unlocking at least a trillion
dollars of economic value by 2035. In a conversation with BusinessLine,
Rekha M Menon, Chairman and Senior Managing Director, Accenture in
India, talked about how AI is transforming not just Accenture’s clients
but also the tech giant itself. Edited excerpts:
People
are worried about AI taking away their jobs, and in several instances,
bots have in fact replaced humans. Should humans worry about AI taking
over?
AI is the ‘alpha’ of all technology trends,
and someday it will be as pervasive as electricity, truly transforming
the way businesses and societies function. Although a balanced view is
now emerging, there is a widespread misconception that AI systems,
including advanced robotics and digital bots, will gradually replace
humans. This may be true for certain jobs, but not all, and in fact AI
will end up creating new jobs — many of which don’t currently exist. The
real power of AI is that it complements and augments human capabilities
— enabling humans to achieve more, thus giving rise to new
opportunities.
When Tesla and Edison were inventing electricity
distribution about 140 years ago, nobody knew we were going to have
microwaves and refrigerators to consume the electricity. Business
leaders we spoke to echo this. About 63 per cent believe that
intelligent technologies will result in a net gain in jobs for their
company.
How is Accenture taking advantage of AI internally?
AI
enables us to deliver our services more effectively. It also creates a
distinct opportunity to drive new business through new categories of
services. We have created specific AI solutions in the infrastructure,
cloud and network space, among others. We’re also using AI to improve
the efficiency of our internal processes, such as HR. For example, in
India we use an AI-based chatbot called Digital People Advisor (DiPA)
that offers a personalised digital experience to our people while
addressing queries related to HR processes, policies and procedures.
ccenture
puts 60 per cent of the money we save through investments in AI into
our training programmes, and over the past two years, tens of thousands
of our people have now moved on to more high-value work, in some cases
using AI and other technologies to provide more informed services to
clients.
You've mentioned that India lacks an AI innovation ecosystem. Can you elaborate?
With
the total expenditure on R&D at 1 per cent of GDP, so far India’s
investment in driving a local innovation ecosystem has been vastly
insufficient. In terms of patent applications per million, too, we lag
behind other BRICS countries. When compared to the EU, or even China,
our investments in AI are limited. However, we can easily bridge the gap
because we have a strong foundation in place. Our universities have
produced some of the best technology leadership driving innovation
globally. In 2016, India was ranked third among G20 countries on the
number of AI start-ups; large businesses are already showing how AI can
improve lives, and the government has made a clear commitment to AI with
the recently instituted task force.
What opportunity do you see AI presenting for Accenture and India?
AI
and other advanced technologies can play a vital role in enabling
socio-economic development in India, unlocking at least a trillion
dollars of economic value by 2035. They can play a key role in
addressing issues such as farmer productivity, or helping improve our
share of global goods and services exports.
From robots helping
sanitation workers, to digital skills creating better job projects, and
from helping schoolchildren get access to quality education to enabling
the blind to ‘see,’ the world around them, the opportunities to create
social impact are tremendous. For Accenture, AI is all about creating
greater value for clients, our people, and our communities.
How can AI help alleviate social development issues in India?
Healthcare,
education, alleviating farmer poverty — these are just some examples of
areas where AI can help. We already see healthcare providers using AI
for personalised cancer care options and diabetic screening. Our own
Accenture Labs in India have developed Drishti, an AI-powered smartphone
solution to help the visually impaired improve the way they experience
the world around them and enhance their productivity in the workplace.
Similarly, the Ekstep foundation is addressing access to quality
education for underprivileged children.
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