CNN Money, Hong Kong: Cognizant’s Head of Strategy Says Artificial Intelligence Will Create More and Different Kinds of Jobs in the Future

The United States, China and India are leading an artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, Malcolm Frank says. While AI is progressing quickly elsewhere too, Frank says the other development hotspots are mainly city hubs such as London and Stockholm, or far smaller economies such as Estonia.

“Silicon Valley giants are already investing billions in harnessing the power of computers to replace several human tasks. With Silicon Valley, and the vendors and momentum that exists there... that’s going to continue. You look at the playbook China has had very successfully, with state sponsorship around developing the [physical] infrastructure of the country. They’re taking a very similar approach around artificial intelligence, and I think that’s going to yield a lot of benefit. In India, the main shift towards artificial intelligence is coming from companies that make up its $143 billion outsourcing industry. You look at this remarkable platform that is in place now...of incredibly sophisticated skills that are focused on the needs of global companies,” he says.

Frank says that the development of artificial intelligence requires careful thought, by governments and companies working together to establish ground rules. He compares it to safety regulations for air travel and for cars, which have evolved several times over the years.

The focus needs to be on creating a world “where AI is going to be safe and you get the benefits of it without the downsides,” he says.

As for the other pervasive fear — that more robots will lead to job losses — Frank argues that AI will not only create more and different kinds of jobs in the future, but also enhance many of the existing ones. “That’s what happened with assembly lines, that’s what happened with the steam engine, that’s what we think is going to happen with artificial intelligence.”

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