Narayana Murthy urges young people to focus on reskilling

Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy on Wednesday said that nothing is superior to the human mind and described artificial intelligence as a “blessing” rather than a threat.

He urged young people to focus on reskilling and lifelong learning. He was speaking at a leadership interaction titled “Leaders Talk” organised by the University of Delhi in collaboration with the School of Ultimate Leadership (SOUL) at the Viceregal Lodge Convention Hall. The session was anchored by senior journalist Sudhir Chaudhary.

Responding to a question on AI and its growing role in India’s technology sector, Murthy said AI may automate low-level tasks but it will push humans towards higher-order thinking and creativity. He stressed that “learnability”, or the ability to acquire and apply knowledge across contexts, is essential in an AI-driven world. Speaking about his early life, Murthy described the youth as the country’s most valuable asset.

He recalled growing up in a modest family with strong values. He shared an incident where a teacher used common salt carefully during a school experiment, saying it belonged to the community. Murthy said this lesson shaped his business ethics.