After 70-hr work call, Narayana Murthy has an AI warning for youngsters in India

By Admin

27 Feb, 2026

A few months after his 70-hour workweek remarks triggered a nationwide debate, Narayana Murthy is once again in the spotlight. This time, his message is not about longer hours  but about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the growing anxiety surrounding white-collar job losses in India.

Amid rising fears that AI could disrupt traditional corporate roles, the Infosys founder has urged young Indians not to panic. Instead, he has advised them to prepare, adapt, and master emerging technologies.

AI Is Not the Enemy

Speaking in a recent interview with Moneycontrol, Murthy shared insights from his personal experiments with generative AI tools. According to him, technology does not automatically create equality in the workplace.

“My own experiments with using generative AI for productivity have shown me that a smarter mind will get better quality and better level of productivity from using these assistive technologies,” he explained.

His core message was simple: AI rewards intelligence, discipline, and learning ability. It does not replace effort  it enhances capability.

Master AI or Miss Out

Murthy emphasized that youngsters should see AI as an assistive tool rather than a threat. The responsibility, he said, lies with individuals to:

• Understand how AI works
  
  

• Use it intelligently in their field
  
  

• Combine it with hard work and discipline
  
  

• Continue learning throughout their careers
  
  

“Therefore, there is no need for youngsters to get worried,” he reassured.

In his view, those who learn how to leverage AI effectively will outperform others. The playing field is not automatically levelled  it is shaped by how well one adapts.

Why AI Fears Are Rising

The anxiety around AI-led job losses has intensified after several high-profile launches by US-based AI firm Anthropic. The company has introduced workplace-focused tools under its Claude platform that can automate tasks across:

• Legal documentation
  
  

• Finance operations
  
  

• Human resources
  
  

• Engineering workflows
  
  

• Business operations
  
  

These tools integrate with widely used enterprise software, carry context across documents, and handle complex workflows that traditionally required large teams.

Such developments have raised concerns across global markets, including India’s IT sector.

Impact on IT and Consulting Companies

Investor nervousness was recently highlighted when shares of IBM witnessed their steepest one-day decline in over two decades.

The sell-off followed claims that AI tools could now understand and modernise COBOL  a programming language developed in the late 1950s that still supports critical systems in banking, aviation, and government infrastructure.

For decades, legacy modernisation projects involving COBOL have been:

• Time-consuming
  
  

• Consultant-heavy
  
  

• Financially significant
  
  

If AI can compress years of such work into much shorter timelines, it could fundamentally reshape the economics of enterprise IT services.

What This Means for India’s Youth

India’s white-collar workforce, especially in IT and consulting, is watching these developments closely. The fear is understandable  automation may reduce demand for certain repetitive tasks.

However, Murthy’s perspective suggests a shift in mindset:

• AI will change jobs, not eliminate opportunity.
  
  

• Productivity will matter more than routine execution.
  
  

• Problem-solving and strategic thinking will become premium skills.
  
  

Young professionals who learn to combine domain knowledge with AI capabilities may actually gain a competitive edge.

From 70 Hours to Smart Hours

Interestingly, Murthy’s earlier call for longer working hours focused on productivity and national growth. His latest message reinforces a similar principle  but in a more technologically driven context.

The future may not demand just longer hours, but smarter hours powered by AI.

Conclusion

As AI tools continue to evolve rapidly, uncertainty in global and Indian markets is likely to persist. Yet, according to Narayana Murthy, fear is not the answer.

Preparation is.

Young Indians, he believes, must treat AI as a powerful assistant  one that rewards sharper thinking, faster learning, and disciplined execution.

In a world reshaped by artificial intelligence, survival will not depend on resisting change  but on mastering it.