AI won't take your job, but it might transform your career

Tech industry leader predicts steep adoption curve for AI as it transforms how we work and live.

Artificial intelligence will transform how we work and live, said Cornerstone's Chief Digital Officer Karthik Suri in a recent interview. Suri predicts AI adoption will rapidly accelerate in the next five years, and he thinks that we are currently experiencing an "inflection point" on par with past innovations like mass adoption of the internet and smartphones.

But AI's rise won't lead to human obsolescence. Suri says AI will empower people by taking over mundane tasks and unlocking human creativity. He envisions an AI that intimately understands your work style and career goals. This "copilot" will behave like a personalized advisor, guiding your career development through nudges and recommendations.

"Imagine an AI-powered coach," Suri said. "I've always had the pleasure of amazing mentors for me, mentors that have told me what to do, at what point in time, what courses to take, what projects to throw my name in the hat for. Imagine democratizing that luck and normalizing that privilege such that everyone has a coach, a personal coach."

While acknowledging significant risks like bias, he argues AI's benefits outweigh potential harms if deployed responsibly. Proper oversight, algorithmic transparency, and keeping humans involved with its development will prevent AI from running amok or becoming too biased.

In the near future, Suri forecasts that AI-powered adaptability will also help humans rapidly reskill and change with dynamic work environments. Sui believes most industries will be impacted by AI, from manufacturing to finance to healthcare and beyond.

"The growth and adoption curve is going to be pretty steep. A big part of this is us being responsible, making sure that we deal this with the right amount of inspection on privacy and security, on accountability and transparency on mitigating bias," he said.