New Delhi, February 19 India is doing a great job of integrating AI into the education system, starting from primary school, and governments around the world will need to do so, according to Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, who spoke on Thursday.
Speaking at the AI Impact Summit, she highlighted India's importance in an AI-enabled future.
Sweet said that Accenture employs over 3.5 lakh people in India and has one of the largest AI workforces globally, integrated with its hubs in the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Japan.
"…education is no longer just about obtaining a degree. We need to embrace lifelong learning. India is doing a great job of integrating AI into the education system, starting from primary school, and governments around the world will need to do so," Sweet said.
At the same time, she emphasized that as countries and individuals are thinking differently, they must recognize that formal education is no longer the only path to success.
Sweet stressed that countries and companies that embrace new technologies prosper.
"When companies and countries embrace new technologies and then use them to drive growth and productivity, they prosper," she said.
Referring to the adoption of robotic process automation and digital technologies over the past decade, she said the IT services industry created more jobs even as automation advanced.
Sweet further emphasized that companies must commit to sustaining entry-level jobs despite AI-driven changes.
"Entry-level jobs make economic sense. They are the only way to create future leaders. And they bring the needed, truly AI-needed talent to each of our organizations," Sweet said.
She said that Accenture will hire more people into entry-level roles this year than last year.
In her address at the summit, which was attended by global leaders, Sweet emphasized the need to ensure access to technology and talent for small and medium enterprises, which account for about 50 per cent of global GDP.
Small and medium enterprises account for a significant share of employment in the Global South.
"If we are to use AI as an engine for growth, we need to make sure that the engine for growth, these types of enterprises, have access," Sweet said, adding that private and public partnerships will be critical to ensuring that these firms get the access.
The biggest fundamental change that must be made is that companies and countries need to advocate for global standards, she added.
These standards should apply to safety, but also to the industries where AI can make the greatest impact, she noted.
