GenAI Is a 'Civilizational Shift', Not Just Another Tech Cycle: N Chandrasekaran
- N Chandrasekaran calls GenAI the most transformative force of 2024, redefining analytics, customer experience, and marketingnot just a tech cycle, but a civilizational shift.
- TCS is investing in AI agents, human-plus-AI solutions, advanced infrastructure, and strategic partnerships to lead in the AI era.
- TCS launched its GenAI platform WisdomNext, is splitting its AI.Cloud business, and aims to have the largest AI-trained workforce by 2025.
In a strong endorsement of generative AI (GenAI), Tata Sons and TCS Chairman N Chandrasekaran has described the technology as a 'civilizational shift' rather than just another phase in the tech cycle. In his letter to shareholders, featured in TCS’ latest annual report, Chandrasekaran emphasized GenAI’s transformative potential across industries, from analytics to customer experience and marketing.
“GenAI is not just another tech cycle, it is a civilizational shift”, he wrote. “Its adoption is accelerating rapidly, driven by advances in semiconductors, cloud computing, quantum technologies, robotics, and energy innovation”.
To solidify its leadership in an AI-first world, TCS is executing a multi-pronged strategy focusing on four key vectors: deploying a wide range of AI agents to collaborate with employees, delivering services via a human-plus-AI model, investing in AI data centers and cloud infrastructure, and establishing strategic partnerships with top-tier hardware vendors, solution innovators, and start-ups.
Chandrasekaran stated that this integrated approach will ensure customers remain 'future-ready, resilient, and competitive', with TCS committed to driving innovation responsibly and purposefully.
As GenAI reshapes the technological landscape, businesses across sectors are adopting AI strategies, refining proprietary data, and integrating AI tools to enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs. However, Chandrasekaran cautioned that the IT industry must undergo significant transformation to stay ahead. He noted that several traditional services, including coding and testing, are being rapidly automated, altering the software development lifecycle. Agentic AI is also being deeply embedded into enterprise systems.
“TCS is proactively leading this change”, he affirmed. “We have embedded AI throughout our offerings and developed intelligent agent solutions across the value chain”.
The company recently announced the launch of its enterprise-grade GenAI platform, TCS WisdomNext, and expects to have the industry's largest AI-trained workforce by 2025. It also revealed plans to split its AI.Cloud business into two distinct units to boost growth, while continuing to hire AI talent and enhance internal training programs.
