India's young workers have a new ally: artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is changing the way Indian workplaces operate, raising questions about productivity, skills and entry-level jobs.

10/16/2026 October 16, 2026 AI is changing the way Indian workplaces operate, raising questions about productivity, skills and entry-level jobs.

Across India, young workers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up their daily tasks, whether researching news, translating copy, analyzing business data or sorting through legal documents.

But this technology can cause mistakes, and relying too much on it carries risks.

Farah Kazemi, a 28-year-old journalist working for a news portal in New Delhi, used artificial intelligence while reporting on the rules governing stray animals and feeding them in gated communities. He asked an artificial intelligence model to find the latest Supreme Court directives, previous court rulings and recent dog bite cases.

"Since searching Google for specific articles about court rulings, previous judgments or recent dog bite cases can take a long time, I asked the AI to find them for me," Kazemi told DW.

This gave him a starting point for related articles and cases, which he then read and reviewed for himself.

Indian workers train artificial intelligence that may replace them

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He also uses AI to translate English to Hindi version for Hindi news team and Hindi to English quotes. But the translations need to be carefully checked, Kazemi said, noting that in one case, the artificial intelligence interpreted the name as "Swaraj" as "sun", changing the meaning of the sentence.

"Before using AI, I relied more on Google Translate. It was more literal and didn't always understand the text. AI provides much better, context-based translation, although it still needs to be reviewed and refined," he said.

Kazemi emphasized that artificial intelligence has not fundamentally changed journalism, which still involves talking to people and reporting from the field.

"Ultimately, I see AI as a tool that helps research and saves time, but the actual verification and reporting still needs to be done by the journalist," he said.

Yajat Misra, 28, director of business strategy and international markets at Kanoria Chemicals and Industries, uses artificial intelligence to analyze data, summarize large amounts of information, prepare first drafts and structure ideas.

It also helps him to convert financial and business information from various sources into management updates and presentations.

"Things like summarizing information, making first drafts, analyzing data and putting together presentations now take less time," Misra told DW.

The challenge, he said, is knowing when to trust the output. AI can miss business context or get details wrong, so numbers, logic and conclusions need to be examined.

He said: There is less need to spend time on repetitive tasks and focus more on analysis, problem solving and providing useful insights to the business.

Rakshanda Deka, a 30-year-old lawyer, uses artificial intelligence to sort large bundles of client documents chronologically or by subject and make a first list of important dates. Some systems link information to original documents so attorneys can check the source.

AI can also help prepare standardized applications and pleadings using the lawyer's own format and style.

"If AI is used sensibly and without outsourcing basic legal thinking, it's basically like having a friendlier or younger colleague," Decca told DW.

But AI can reliably produce false information, necessitating human review.

"Artificial intelligence will often give you false information that is completely confidently cloaked as fact. So, it's imperative that you double-check everything," he said.

Deka also worries that some young lawyers may use AI as a substitute for their own thinking. "Many of the youngest lawyers are starting to use artificial intelligence as a substitute for themselves," he said.

The use of artificial intelligence is prevalent among young Indians, with a Deloitte survey this year finding that 93% of Gen Z respondents and 95% of millennial respondents used artificial intelligence in their daily work.

A separate survey found that 82 percent of respondents aged 15 to 28 use AI tools at least weekly to learn or develop new skills.

AI is highly hyped, often feared, and probably overrated

Dimple Khubchandani, founder of recruitment firm Synoverge Consultants, told DW that employers increasingly want young professionals who can think critically, solve problems and review AI-generated work rather than just doing basic research or drafting.

"AI won't necessarily eliminate entire job categories, but it will create leaner teams and raise expectations," he said.

A marketing agency that once might have employed four junior copywriters can now hire one to use AI for early drafts, leaving more time for editing, refining tone and shaping strategy, Khobchedani said.

"Artificial intelligence will increase the basic ability expected of employees on day one," he said.

Tata Consulting Services (TCS), one of India's largest IT services companies, said in its 2025-26 annual report that it has enhanced its "human + artificial intelligence" operating model, embedding artificial intelligence in services and software development.

Shrijay Sheth, co-founder of LegalWiz.in, an online legal and compliance service, sees a shift in the economy.

"The impact of artificial intelligence on job profiles is not a prediction. It is now a reality," Sheth told DW. From basic research to strategy, operations, marketing, design and development, AI is changing the way work is done.

In software development, Sheth said, developers spend less time writing code from scratch and more time monitoring, testing and refining the output generated by AI.

"Business, product and problem-solving ability, combined with skills to work with AI platforms, are more valuable than mere technical ability to work with any particular programming language," he said.

It becomes harder to ignore the question of what happens to entry-level jobs.

The 2025 report by NITI Aayog, the Indian government's public policy think tank, cites data from the Center for Advanced Studies in India, which suggests that more than 60 percent of formal sector jobs could be exposed to automation by 2030, particularly in IT services and business processes.

It also warns of slower hiring for entry-level software engineers, leaving quality assurance and level 1 support roles vulnerable.

India Development Update October 2026 World Bank says AI's long-term impact on India's labor market is unclear.