Serious Need Of Industry-Academia Partnership To Shape Future AI Talent Pipeline: MoS Chandrasekhar
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, on Wednesday stressed on the critical necessity for a robust partnership between industry and academia to address the impending talent deficit in the AI landscape.
Chandrasekhar highlighted the central role of academic institutions in shaping the future talent pipeline. He said, "There is a serious need for industry and academy to work together in shaping the future pipeline of talent."
He pointed out the specific challenges related to the shortage of skilled professionals in AI and stressed the need for academic institutions worldwide to align their educational offerings with the evolving demands of the industry.
The Minister urged academic institutions to go beyond basic coding skills, emphasising the importance of cultivating architects and designers of AI models. "I'm talking about real cutting-edge architects of models, designers of models," Chandrasekhar said, underlining the need for a holistic approach in preparing students for the complexities of the AI ecosystem.
Speaking during a panel at Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit 2023 in New Delhi, Chandrasekhar cautioned against the industry's tendency to identify talent deficiencies after it occurs and urged proactive collaboration between industry and academia. He said, "Don't wake up after the fact," underscoring the importance of anticipating future trends and working together to ensure a seamless pipeline of skilled professionals.
A recently released ServiceNow-Pearson study revealed that the imminent wave of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation will necessitate the reskilling and upskilling of approximately 16.2 million workers in India over the next five years. As per the findings, the surge in these technologies is anticipated to generate around 4.7 million new technology jobs in India.
Meanwhile, Viscount Camrose, UK’s Minister for AI and Intellectual Property, echoed Chandrasekhar's sentiments and highlighted the challenges faced by academic institutions due to the capital-intensive nature of modern AI. Camrose stressed the need for governments to facilitate conversations between academic institutions and industry.
He said, "If left unchecked, it'll only create a larger divide between the skills that the industry needs and the skills that academic institutions can provide."
