AI Skills Gap Widens: Strategic Learning Becomes Critical

In a world where knowledge is instantly accessible, he said, aspiration and depth of understanding are the only sustainable differentiators. That shift from tool-centric skills to domain-led capability was echoed across the panel. Rex Jesu Das, head of edge and industrial AI at LTIMindtree, described how his team built a digital twin platform for a manufacturing client, highlighting the uneven pace of transformation between digital-native firms and legacy industrial companies.

Algorithms, he noted, are only one component of a much larger system that includes data pipelines, AI agents, factory design, and process reengineering. In that complexity, skilling cannot be reduced to learning AI models alone. "Human-in-the-loop is here to stay," Das affirmed, pushing back against fears of mass job displacement.

Humans, he argued, provide the emotion, energy and contextual judgement that AI systems lack, making continuous reskilling essential rather than optional. From a macro perspective, Devkant Aggarwal, regional head at IBM India, noted that algorithms already shape daily life invisibly, from consumption patterns to economic leadership. Countries such as the US, China and India, he said, are pulling ahead precisely because of how effectively they deploy algorithmic systems.

Yet even in an algorithm-led economy, Aggarwal stressed that human skills such as negotiation, relationship-building and problem-solving remain critical. These capabilities allow individuals and organisations to "ace" digital transformation rather than merely automate processes. He gave the example of IBM's Naan Mudhalvan programme, the result of collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation and Anna University.

The initiative focuses on upskilling students in emerging technologies by enabling them to work on real-world problem statements through project-based learning. The experience revealed constraints that technology alone could not solve--from language preferences to the importance of women mentors for female students.