
CHENNAI: As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform human-machine interactions, Shekar Nair, Co-Founder of Upekkha, an AI-focused startup accelerator, emphasised that while AI may not eliminate all jobs, it will fundamentally reshape roles by replacing individuals who fail to adapt and integrate AI into their work.
Speaking at a session titled “Is AI Real? Hype, Hope, and the Future of Intelligence” at the ThinkEdu Conclave 2025 on January, 27, 2025, Nair shared his belief that humans will create an AI-driven world that fosters meaningful collaboration between humans and machines. He emphasised that AI should remain a tool in the hands of humans, driving increased productivity and promoting global economic progress—not just in the United States and China, but worldwide.
Talking about the concern of AI replacing jobs, Nair said, “It is a fair concern and there’s a lot of things that we should do to make sure that these things don’t happen. Today, you don’t have to worry about AI replacing all jobs. That is not going to be an AI God machine that is going to say, hey, you know what? All of you get universal basic income. And we will sit here and make sure that everything is being done, right? That’s not going to happen, but at the same time you have to know somebody who is going to use AI will replace your job if you’re not going to use AI.”
To illustrate the potential of human-AI collaboration, Nair showcased an audio clip entirely generated by an AI model. The clip, he noted, was created using inputs from a team at The New Indian Express, including Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla, CEO Lakshmi Menon, and Consulting Editor of The Sunday Standard, Ravi Shankar.
Nair also highlighted some of the drawbacks of AI, pointing out its narrow focus and potential misuse. He mentioned concerns such as misleading information, fabricated content, and the rise of Deep Fakes, which have been rife in cybercrimes. He further noted that the quality of information generated by AI depends on the quality of data it is trained on.
Nair quoted Austrian American educator Peter Drucker and said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it, and because there’s a lot of butterfly effect, you keep doing something, something else changes. So, you can’t predict what the world is going to be 10 years from now.”