Shaping Futures with AI in Education

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By Sarah Anjum,
Head Of IT

As an Education Technology lead, one of my biggest concerns and hopes lies in preparing students for a future we can't fully predict. On March 28th 2025, I had the opportunity to attend the third edition of Embassy REIT’s Occupier Connect 2025, an event that brought together visionary leaders from across industries to discuss the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in shaping our work and lives.

With speakers like Nandan Nilekani, Rishad Premji, and leaders from companies like Mercedes-Benz, Salesforce, and Swiss Re, the event was an eye-opener, not just in terms of technology, but in what it means for the students we are nurturing today.

Gen Z: AI-Native Learners and Workers

Nandan Nilekani made a compelling point: “Gen Z will enter the workforce with an inherently better skillset to use AI.” Unlike previous generations who had to adapt to technology, our students are growing with it. But Nilekani didn’t stop at digital literacy—he emphasized the importance of first-principles thinking, people skills, and human intuition. These are the anchors that will help students thrive alongside AI, not be threatened by it.

Democratizing Access to Quality Education

One of the most promising takeaways was how AI can bridge educational divides. In a country as diverse and complex as India, many students still lack access to high-quality learning. AI-powered platforms can make world-class content accessible, remove language barriers, and even help those who can’t read or write learn through voice, visuals, and interactive tools. This isn’t just innovation—it’s equity in action

AI in the Workplace: Industry Insights

The panel featuring Prasanna Gonuguntla (Mercedes-Benz), Sanket Atal (Salesforce), and Amit Kalra (Swiss Re) offered a grounded look at how AI is transforming industries:

In automotive, AI is making luxury smarter with voice assistants and predictive maintenance.
In sales and insurance, AI handles repetitive tasks like data collection and customer queries, freeing humans to focus on empathy-driven interactions.
Across sectors, AI is becoming a learning coach, enabling personalized upskilling journeys for employees.

But what stood out most was this: AI will never replace the human touch in leadership, people management, and decision-making. Instead, it will complement our capabilities—if we’re ready for it.

The Wipro Perspective: A Fireside Chat with Rishad Premji

In an engaging conversation with Aditya Virvani, Rishad Premji offered insights that went beyond technology and into leadership, values, and personal growth.

He described AI as “a huge opportunity to solve real-world problems,” while also acknowledging the distributional impact it will have on jobs. Reskilling, he said, is not just about learning new tools, but about making people feel comfortable with change.

Rishad also shared a memorable piece of leadership advice: “Just because you don’t bark doesn’t mean you can’t bite.” In a world of flashy tech and loud innovation, it’s the thoughtful, grounded leaders who often make the most impact.

Looking Ahead: Are There Enough Jobs in the Age of AI?

This question lingered throughout the day—Will AI take away more jobs than it creates? The hopeful consensus was: if we invest in people, upskill wisely, and embrace our human uniqueness, there will be enough jobs. Different, yes. But enough.

Final Thoughts: Preparing Students for What’s Next

As we bring these insights back into our classrooms, it’s clear that future readiness isn't about coding alone. It's about building resilience, creativity, adaptability, and above all, a sense of purpose.

AI might be reshaping the future of work, but it’s our students who will shape the future of AI. Our role is to give them the tools, mindsets, and values to lead with confidence.

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