Buckle up, AI is closing in fast

“This is something you should read if you are a coder.”

That’s how I began writing this week’s newsletter a couple of days ago. But after scanning a few articles over the weekend, I think you should read this even if you’re not a coder – whether you’re a student, a job seeker, an employee, a businessman, or even retired and a stay-at-home person.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing so rapidly that its effect is set to bring changes into almost every aspect of our lives. Even sceptics who once dismissed Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), or algorithms more intelligent than humans as mere hype, are now growing concerned.

The latest addition to this ever-growing list is New York Times tech correspondent Kevin Roose, who, until now, maintained a healthy dose of scepticism in his writing. But in his latest piece, he admits he was wrong to doubt it. He also warns that the world is unprepared for what’s coming and foresees a great deal of pain ahead.

“I don't worry about individuals overpreparing for AGI, either. A bigger risk, I think, is that most people won't realise that powerful AI is here until it’s staring them in the face – eliminating their job, ensnaring them in a scam, harming them or someone they love,” he writes.

Most people dismiss AI as a fun tool that can generate impressive text, cat pictures, and fake videos. But its capabilities are advancing so rapidly that it is on the cusp of bringing profound changes to sectors like education, healthcare, and defence. Even more uncertain is the impact it will have on the economy.

The job market is at the forefront, as AI-driven efficiency becomes the catchword and workforce reductions seem inevitable. AI may eventually create opportunities we cannot yet foresee – much like how online commerce emerged a few years after the internet. Perhaps those displaced will find employment in these new areas too.

However, given the pace at which AI is progressing, a wave of job losses and the collapse of certain business models seem highly likely.

Code Red

AI has been at the centre of a heated debate in the tech industry over whether it will replace human coders. Some, like Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei, argue that AI will soon write 90 per cent of code. Others, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, counter that such views are alarmist, insisting that AI will complement human programmers rather than replace them.

In India, the debate is just as intense. While industry veterans and analysts weigh its implications, many IT professionals and students are left wondering what skills they need to acquire.

Amid these global discussions, insights from those working at the frontlines of AI technology become particularly valuable. One such voice is Amrit Sanjeev, a Trivandrum native whose journey from Kerala’s tech parks to a prominent role at Google has made him a globally respected authority on programming.

Amrit, now a Staff Developer Advocate at Google, has been coding for over two decades. After graduating in Computer Science from Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) in 2003, he began his career at Trivandrum Technopark before moving to Bangalore in 2004 when he landed a job with IBM.

He soon became a leading figure in Android programme development, publishing numerous research papers and creating a thriving community of like-minded peers. He also won the Intel Innovator Programme award for his contributions to mobile technology.

First Google Recruit

Such achievements caught the attention of the global tech community, and in 2014, he became the first developer engineer from India to be recruited by Google under its global talent hunt programme. The tech giant identifies top talent across various domains worldwide, and only a handful make the cut. When Amrit was selected as a programme manager in the Developer Relations group, he was the seventh person recruited globally under the scheme.

Over the past decade, he has made key contributions to the company’s plans for program developers and is set to play an even greater role in Google’s future strategy.

As a top employee at one of the world’s leading technology companies, Amrit has a ringside view of how AI is transforming workplaces. His verdict? AI is reshaping how coding is done, but human programmers are here to stay. Companies, both big and small, must adopt AI tools quickly to remain competitive, and students must equip themselves for the future.

AI Not a Replacement

Speaking at Faya Port 80, a monthly tech meetup at Trivandrum Technopark, Amrit downplayed fears of widespread job losses in IT. “Everybody losing their jobs in IT is not going to happen. Human intervention will remain crucial, especially in areas where we interact. Would you link your bank account to an app developed entirely by bots? No. We want human involvement to create trust in the application.”

While AI is becoming more proficient at generating code, Amrit believes the human role in software development will not disappear but evolve. “AI’s ability to write code has improved so much that I hardly need to review it now. This has been the case for at least six months,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean I can pass it on without a glance.”

Beyond just generating code, AI-powered tools are also helping developers understand and refine it. Large language models (LLMs) adapt to a programmer’s style and provide explanations for code snippets. For Android developers, tools like Gemini Studio are making coding more interactive. “You can ask why a piece of code is written in a certain way, and it will not only explain but also suggest improvements and justify them,” says Amrit.

Workplace Changes

With AI advancing rapidly, Amrit acknowledges that the number of people needed for specific tasks will decline. “If you don’t upskill, you'll become irrelevant – not because you lack subject knowledge, but because you won’t adapt to the changing environment.”

At Google, AI is evolving into a workplace collaborator rather than a job killer. “We are not going to give entire control to machines, but bots will work alongside us. My team at Google is rolling out a bot next quarter that will join meetings, review documents, and generate reports on request.”

He says businesses are increasingly integrating AI into their workflows. Amrit cites an example where employees at a company now use AI tools to generate PowerPoint presentations, replacing lengthy verbal updates to managers. This saves time for more meaningful discussions.

How to Stay Relevant

To navigate this changing landscape, Amrit advises tech professionals to actively engage with AI developments and hone their prompt engineering skills. “There are plenty of free tutorials on YouTube that will help you get better results from your AI tools by giving them better instructions with more context.”

“Soon, every company will have to adopt this,” he says. “Fresh recruits will have no trouble adapting, but existing employees who don’t unlearn and relearn will struggle. One of the common problems in companies is that older employees rarely ask their juniors or fresh recruits about the tools they use and learn from them.”

Technology is a great leveller, and every few years, it brings everyone to the same level as they all have to learn a new tool from scratch. Everyone studies it at the same time – like mobile phone applications before, and AI now.

In most organisations, the challenge with AI adoption is a transformation problem, not a technological one. “If you are doing something to make things better, that is transformation. If you are adopting a completely new way to solve a problem, that is a technology problem. Adopting a tool like Gemini or ChatGPT to write your emails or reports is a transformation.”

Build Your Skills

For freshers entering the job market, Amrit advises them to demystify AI by learning about it online, organising peer groups, and attending meetings and discussions on the subject. “Learn how to use different AI tools and understand the strengths of each so you can combine them to solve a problem.”

Another key point to remember is to document your work. “At Google, we ask applicants to provide proof of the projects they have done. Academic achievements alone will no longer suffice.”

He also warns against relying on AI to cover gaps in fundamental knowledge. “No AI can help if you lack the basics, and such a candidate’s progress will hit a plateau after a short period. We hear a lot of talk about college dropouts creating successful companies, but they are a small minority. Look around the successful tech firms and tell me how many are headed by dropouts?”

Inevitable Lesson

AI is fundamentally transforming learning. Instead of reading entire books, tools like NotebookLM summarise texts and allow users to ask targeted questions, making knowledge acquisition more efficient.

“I have a 700-page book on how LLMs are built. There is a lot of mathematics in it that isn’t relevant to my area of work,”Amrit says. "I uploaded it to NotebookLM (which is free from Google), and now I can ask specific questions to understand complex topics better.”

He also shared a personal anecdote about AI adoption. His teenage daughter initially avoided using AI for schoolwork, as she was capable of doing it on her own. But she had to embrace it when her classmates started using AI tools to complete assignments faster. “It wasn't about AI doing the work for her – it was about using AI to get things done more efficiently.”

It is not just students, but teachers are also learning to use AI to formulate more intelligent questions. The teaching methods and evaluation techniques used in India will soon become obsolete as technological advancements render them irrelevant.

The message from Amrit is clear – those who embrace AI will thrive, while those who resist may struggle to keep up, regardless of their field.

Tailpiece

The truth is, AI can impact even those sitting at home. Just the other day, I received a WhatsApp forward from a well-educated friend. It was a video showing Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing an AI scheme, claiming that those who invest 20,000 rupees would receive 1.5 million rupees every month. The video even showed her urging people to send money quickly, as the time to join the plan was limited.

It was a convincing video – difficult for an uninitiated person to recognise as a deepfake. Fortunately, my friend decided to verify it before sending any money. I wonder how many people realise that crooks armed with AI tools are already lurking in their online networks, with far more malicious intentions.

Kerala robotics firms score wins

India is far behind China in robotics, but it is heartening to see some startups taking some big strides, and Calicut-based Altersage Innovations deserves an extra applause for that. Not only are they developing an innovative robot, but also tackling a real problem around them: the shortage of coconut tree climbers. Founder and CEO Ashin P Krishna says he was passionate about inventions from his school days, and it was his parents who encouraged him to create a product that benefits society. According to Ashin, their creation uses AI to identify and pick mature coconuts, and their 10-kilogram product has secured backing from agencies like the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard). Now, the startup is seeking investment to start production.

Another noteworthy development from Kerala is that Cochin-based robotics firm Sastra Global Business Innovation is setting up a base in the UK with an investment of 8 million pounds. This marks the first time a South Indian robotics firm is investing in the UK, and this will create 75 jobs there. The company received an order for 100 robots from a British public sector entity in 2023, reports The Hindu. Akhil Asokan, CFO and cofounder, says there is growing demand for such robots in Europe, and they hope to expand into more markets soon.

Big leap for Hex20

More space news from Trivandrum. HEX20, a startup founded by five schoolmates from Trivandrum, is now set to launch its first satellite, Nila, with US launch provider SpaceX. The Nila mission will validate HEX20’s indigenously developed subsystems and carry a payload for in-orbit demonstration from German company DCubed. The startup has also established a Satellite Control Centre at Marian Engineering College in the city, where data from the satellite will be received at the ground station. HEX20 is training a team of faculty members and students at the college to operate the facility.

Sounds like a risky idea

Have you talked to Maya yet? If not, you should try chatting with this AI chatbot from US-based startup Sesame. The chatbots, Maya and Miles, sound so natural that they set the internet alight when they debuted recently. Yeah, we know what you think – yet another chatbot, right? But you should try this one to understand the difference. What’s even more interesting (or worrying) is that it’s now an open-source tool. This means users can create conversational assistants with different voices – even their own – with minimal guardrails. The only restrictions? Users are urged not to mimic someone’s voice without consent, generate misleading content like fake news, or engage in “harmful” or “malicious” activities, says TechCrunch.

Kiss goodbye to smudgy lips

Need help applying lipstick without smudges? No problem – AI has you covered. A Brazilian cosmetics firm has developed a Smart Lipstick application system designed just for that. Simply place your chin on a rest, similar to an eye-testing machine, and the system will analyse your skin, pick the perfect shade, and use a robotic arm to apply it precisely to your lips. The whole process takes just two minutes, as shown in this video. Before you dismiss it as a gimmick, consider the effort behind it. Grupo Boticario's R&D team – comprising 42 professionals, including engineers, product designers, UX experts, and diversity specialists – spent seven years perfecting this innovation. Now that’s some serious lip service!