Vishal Sikka, Founder and CEO of Vianai Systems, says the disruption caused by artificial intelligence in the software and IT sector is not sudden, but the result of changes that have been building steadily over several years.
Sharing his views on X, the former Infosys CEO said his long experience across technology and AI makes the idea of sudden disruption misleading. “I have been in these two industries for 28+ years, and in AI since I was a student — so ‘sudden’ makes me smile.” Sikka acknowledged that AI is causing creative disruption, but stressed that the real issue is not speed. Instead, attention should be on how unevenly AI is reshaping work across roles and industries.
Sikka explained that AI does not affect all tasks in the same way. “AI empowers some people and transforms some domains far more than others,” he said, referring to researcher Melanie Mitchell’s description of AI as a “jagged frontier.” This means AI is highly effective at speeding up routine and clearly defined tasks, while still struggling with work that requires deeper context and reasoning.
He also pointed out that modern AI tools are lowering the barrier to entry for technical work. Less experienced employees can now perform many routine or technical tasks, while work that depends on human judgment remains unchanged. “This helps them do in real time what they did before in slow, costly, complex ways, but go far beyond that and do things that simply couldn’t be done before. And in the process, save massively in the clean up of legacy,” Sikka said.
As AI adoption continues, Sikka believes the focus should be on using technology to improve workflows rather than replace human thinking. According to him, AI should support creativity, insight, and problem solving, while originality and judgment remain firmly human driven.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.
