AI may significantly threaten India’s middle-class jobs

Arindam Paul, the founder of Atomberg, has raised serious concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs in India's IT and BPO sectors. He warns that widespread AI adoption could lead to significant job losses, putting economic stability at risk. With the manufacturing sector not growing fast enough to absorb these job losses, many are worried about rising unemployment and falling consumer spending. In a recent LinkedIn post, Paul highlighted that up to 50 percent of current white-collar jobs could vanish due to AI. He believes that while big IT companies may still thrive, they will need fewer workers as they adopt automation. This shift could hit the middle class hard and harm the overall economy. Paul also pointed out that India's efforts to boost manufacturing are not meeting the needs. Many manufacturing jobs pay less than IT jobs, making it tough for those displaced to find new, well-paying work. Economic initiatives like 'Make in India' face challenges that hinder quick growth in manufacturing. The conversation sparked by Paul’s post revealed mixed reactions from industry experts. Some agree that AI could drastically reduce jobs and call for urgent action to retrain workers for new roles in the changing market. Others are more optimistic, believing that new job opportunities will arise from AI advancements, similar to past technological revolutions. Experts suggest that addressing these workforce challenges is vital. They advocate for reskilling workers, policy reforms to encourage job creation, and balanced AI regulations to minimize job loss while promoting innovation in the economy.