By Siva Ganesan
In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries, enterprises everywhere are racing to equip their workforces with the skills needed to harness this powerful technology.
In this swiftly evolving landscape, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has cemented its position as a pioneer in emerging technologies. In January 2024, TCS was recognised as a leader in AI by industry analysts Everest and Forrester, underscoring our commitment to staying at the forefront of the AI revolution.
Under the visionary leadership of our Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, K Krithivasan, TCS has laid down a strategy to build one of the world’s largest AI-ready workforces, a reflection of our dedication to continuous learning and adaptation. The future of work demands that we remain agile, constantly evolving and always prepared to leverage emerging technologies to drive innovation and create value for customers and their organisations.
Bridging the skills gap
With the increasing adoption of AI across industries, the demand for skilled professionals who can effectively navigate this ever evolving landscape is also increasing. The recent TCS AI for Business study shows that 45% of top-level executives surveyed believe that in the next three years, up to half of their employees will be using generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT every day. Another 38% believe that AI will free workers to focus on more strategic and creative endeavours.
“TCS has reskilled 300,000+ employees on the foundational skills of AI/ machine learning, including GenAI, empowering them with the expertise required to harness AI technologies effectively.”—Siva Ganesan
Early on, TCS recognised AI’s potential impact for customers and we quickly launched a comprehensive reskilling initiative to bridge the AI skills gap in our workforce. As of FY24, TCS has reskilled 300,000+ employees on the foundational skills of AI/ machine learning, including GenAI, empowering them with the expertise required to harness AI technologies effectively. This investment strongly positions us to meet the demands of our GenAI pipeline in excess of $1.5 billion as of Q1FY25.
A strategic road map
At TCS, we view reskilling as a continuous journey, not a one-time effort. Our strategic road map emphasises creating a culture of innovation, curiosity and collaboration among our employees. We believe that this kind of culture will be pivotal in ensuring our workforce remains agile and adaptable in the face of new technological advancements. And this transition-ready posture will be essential for all AI-focused organisations to be successful and get the most out of their AI investments.
Powered by the AI Experience Zone
At the core of our reskilling strategy is the AI Experience Zone, an immersive environment that empowers employees to explore, engage and experiment with leading-edge GenAI-powered applications, creating innovative use cases, with all necessary guardrails, while upholding Responsible AI principles. They can experiment with open-source technologies and key large language models from industry giants like Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft and others. Its advanced AI algorithms provide personalised learning paths, so employees acquire skills at their own pace and in areas relevant to their roles and aspirations.
The AI Experience Zone encourages a hands-on approach with interactive learning modules, including virtual simulations and real-world problem-solving scenarios. Not only does the environment encourage employees to ideate (through hackathons) and collaborate, they also gain theoretical knowledge and practical experience in applying AI to solve complex business challenges together.
Getting future-ready
When it comes to GenAI adoption, the TCS study shows talent development and training is a top concern for the more financially successful pacesetter organisations surveyed.
TCS’ commitment to reskilling is not only about addressing immediate market demands but also about future-proofing our workforce. With our continuous investment in learning and development, we are working hard to ensure that associates are always equipped with the latest skills needed to drive innovation and deliver value to our clients in a highly dynamic technological landscape.
While TCS is making AI adoption and expertise easier for our associates, we are also looking to do so for our customers. TCS AI WisdomNext™ is a first-of-its-kind platform that accelerates GenAI adoption for enterprises with ready-to-deploy solution blueprints that bring multiple services into a unified interface.
What’s next for TCS and AI?
Talent development along with reimagining business processes, focusing on return on investment and meeting security and regulatory requirements will be some of the biggest challenges that companies will face with AI.
Our reskilling initiatives, powered by the AI Experience Zone, and our proven commitment to embracing AI and innovation, exemplify our forward-thinking approach to workforce development and to AI in general.
TCS’ core engineering-driven culture of continuous learning and innovation not only bridges the skills gap but also prepares our workforce — and our customers — for the future, which we are confident will solidify our position as a leader in the AI domain.
The author, Siva Ganesan, is Head of TCS AI.Cloud.