The debate around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and employment is no longer confined to whether jobs will disappear. Increasingly, business leaders and HR heads believe the larger story is about how work itself is being redefined.
While Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently described AI as an “industrial-scale generator of jobs,” global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund have warned that AI could affect nearly 40 percent of jobs worldwide.
For HR leaders, this shift is already visible. In this context, ETHRWorld interacted with HR leaders across industries that reveal a common theme. AI is not simply replacing work; it is fundamentally transforming how businesses operate and what they expect from employees.
The skills gap: From domain expertise to digital fluency
One of the clearest trends emerging across organisations is that traditional functional expertise alone is no longer enough. Companies now need employees who can combine technical understanding with adaptability, critical thinking and AI literacy.
Geena Binoy, Chief Human Resources Officer, Tata Technologies, said the challenge is no longer just about specialised expertise but about preparing employees to work effectively alongside AI systems.
“The gap today is less about domain expertise and more about digital fluency, adaptability and the ability to work alongside AI interpreting outputs, applying judgement and driving innovation,” she explained.
According to Binoy, AI literacy is quickly becoming a baseline capability across industries. Yet organisations are struggling to keep pace. She pointed out that over 40 percent of organisations in India still report a lack of internal AI expertise, even as AI adoption accelerates.“At Tata Technologies, the focus has been on scaling workforce readiness rapidly. We are proud of the scale at which we are reskilling our workforce. By equipping over 70 percent of our employees with future-ready capabilities, we ensure that the input from our reskilling initiatives quickly translates into output in the form of faster execution, higher quality and greater innovation,” Binoy said.
A similar concern is echoed by Niharika Mohan, CHRO, Greater India Zone, Schneider Electric. She believes the future workplace will require employees who can blend AI capabilities with human judgement.
“The biggest gap today is not access to AI, but the ability to apply AI meaningfully, responsibly and confidently in day-to-day work,” she added.
Schneider Electric has introduced a structured “Data & AI Upskilling@Scale” programme built around a “Learn → Act → Advocate” model.
Here, employees are first trained on AI fundamentals and responsible AI practices before applying these learnings through practical initiatives such as ‘Promptathons’, ‘Copilot workshops’, and ‘AI-led business challenges’, Mohan added.
According to Niharika, the larger objective is not just technical training but building an AI-ready culture. “The future workforce will not only require technical expertise, but also the ability to work effectively alongside AI,” she pointed out.For sectors outside traditional technology industries, the transition is equally significant.
Rajat Seth, Senior Vice President – Human Resources, Elan Group, believes adaptability itself has become the most critical workplace capability. “Roles across sales, customer engagement, operations and marketing are evolving much faster than traditional learning cycles within organisations,” he said.
Seth cited the World Economic Forum ‘Future of Jobs’ Report, which estimates that nearly 39 percent of core workplace skills will change by 2030.“Continuous learning, agility and the ability to work alongside evolving technologies will become equally important as functional expertise,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sushil Baveja, CHRO, Jindal Stainless, argued that organisations should stop viewing human and AI capabilities as separate.
“Employees bring human intelligence, experience, empathy and contextual understanding, while AI brings speed, scale, agility and data-processing capability. The real opportunity lies in how effectively organisations combine the two,” Baveja opined.
For Baveja, the larger challenge is cultural. “What’s needed today is a broader mindset shift across both organisations and the workforce, to build a culture where technology is not seen as a threat, but is embraced once its purpose is clearly defined,” he said.
Balancing reskilling with employee confidence
While organisations accelerate AI adoption, employee anxiety remains one of the biggest challenges facing HR leaders. Many workers fear that automation could eventually make their roles redundant.
According to HR leaders, managing this emotional transition is becoming just as important as technical training.
Binoy of Tata Technologies said employees’ concerns around job security cannot be ignored.
“Employees’ concerns around job security are real and can impact morale if not addressed proactively. Organisations need to balance reskilling with structured learning pathways and visible career opportunities to build confidence alongside capability,” Binoy said.
At Schneider Electric, one of the most important responsibilities for HR today is creating confidence among employees that AI is there to augment their capabilities, not replace human efforts and conscience,” Mohan said.
Niharika also emphasised the importance of preserving human thinking in an AI-driven workplace.
She added, “One of the principles we encourage internally is ‘think first, then ask AI’. The objective is to ensure employees continue strengthening their cognitive and problem-solving capabilities while leveraging AI responsibly.”
For Elan Group, communication has become central to maintaining employee morale during technological transitions. Seth said, “Organisations must ensure employees feel included in the transformation journey rather than sidelined by it.”
According to Seth, helping employees understand how AI can simplify work and create space for higher-value responsibilities is critical to reducing resistance.
At Jindal Stainless, Baveja said, managers play a crucial role in easing uncertainty. “People are far more receptive to change when they feel informed, supported and involved in the transformation journey,” he opined.
According to Baveja, HR’s role today extends beyond training programmes. “The focus of HR and organisations at large should be towards helping employees evolve alongside technology, while ensuring morale, trust and the human aspect of work remain intact,” he said.
Is Corporate India investing enough in reskilling?
While awareness around AI-driven transformation has increased significantly, HR leaders believe many organisations still underestimate the scale of disruption ahead.
Binoy of Tata Technologies pointed out that although Indian companies are increasing investments in learning and development, execution gaps remain.
“Over 76 percent of organisations are prioritising AI-related skills, yet only about 54 percent have formal reskilling programmes in place,” she added.
For her, the larger challenge is scale and continuity. “The real imperative is embedding continuous, organisation-wide learning as a core business strategy rather than a periodic initiative,” she said.
Schneider Electric has made significant investments in both technology and workforce readiness. Mohan said the organisation recognised early that AI transformation requires long-term capability building rather than isolated training programmes.
The numbers reflect the scale of investment. “So far in 2026, over 21,000 employees globally have completed AI training through our AI Upskilling@Scale programme,” Niharika said.
In 2025 alone, more than 142,000 employees completed AI awareness training, while over 51,000 progressed to advanced AI learning programmes.
According to Mohan, companies that create strong AI learning cultures early will ultimately gain a competitive advantage. “The future workplace will require continuous learning and adaptability,” she said.
Baveja agreed that reskilling can no longer remain a one-time initiative. In sectors such as manufacturing, he said, AI adoption is already reshaping operations through automation, predictive maintenance and data-led production systems.
“For Corporate India, the real task is not just investing in technology, but investing consistently in people. Organisations that treat reskilling as a long-term cultural shift rather than a one-time training exercise will be far better positioned for the future,” Baveja added.
Way forward
As AI adoption accelerates, the emerging consensus among HR leaders is clear. The future of work will depend less on whether jobs survive and more on whether organisations can help employees evolve alongside technology. Companies that succeed may not necessarily be the ones deploying AI the fastest, but the ones investing most effectively in making their workforce ready for it.