In the past few years, there has been a sudden rise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) be it in one’s professional or personal lives. However, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy recently spoke about the rising AI trend in India and warned people against it, calling it “silly old programmes”.
Murthy was speaking at TiE Con Mumbai 2025 on March 11 (Tuesday). Sharing his expertise, Murthy said that he is noticing a lot of “ordinary” programmes being called AI as this has become a “fashion” these days. “I think somehow it has become a fashion in India to talk of AI for everything. I have seen several normal ordinary programs touted as AI,” Murthy said, as per reports.
Murthy also explained the basic principles of AI- i.e. machine learning and deep learning- and their potentials. “There are two fundamental principles in AI. One, machine learning, which is a large-scale correlation. Therefore, it helps you based on a large amount of data, to predict. That is simple machine learning,” he said.
He further added, “The second is what is called deep learning. Deep learning imitates how the human brain works.” Talking about its relevance in today’s world, Murthy shared that deep learning has the ability to handle “unsupervised algorithms”, and it can be used to create new programs.
“So unsupervised data, which uses deep learning and neural networks, has much greater potential to do things that mimic human behaviour better. But what I am seeing being called AI is silly, old programs,” Murthy added.
Talking about if AI can replace jobs in the near future, Murthy said that technological advancement often leads to some jobs being eliminated, while creating new opportunities. “In each tech, certain jobs will be eliminated, but if used in an assisted manner, we can grow the economy. AI for example, if you use it in autonomous vehicles for transport, hospital care, it will lead to expansion of those companies and create jobs,” he said.
3 pros of AI
1. Efficiency and automation: AI can perform repetitive and time-consuming tasks faster and with greater accuracy than humans, improving productivity in various industries like healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.
2. Data processing and analysis: AI can analyze vast amounts of data in real-time, providing valuable insights that help businesses and researchers make informed decisions.
3. Personalisation and convenience: AI-powered applications, such as recommendation algorithms and virtual assistants, enhance user experiences by tailoring content and automating everyday tasks.
3 cons of AI
1. Job displacement: AI-driven automation can replace human workers, leading to job losses in industries that rely heavily on routine tasks.
2. Bias and ethical concerns: AI models can inherit biases from their training data, leading to unfair or discriminatory outcomes, especially in hiring, law enforcement, and lending decisions.
3. Security and privacy risks: AI technologies can be exploited for cyberattacks, deepfakes, and surveillance, raising concerns about data privacy and ethical misuse.