Global experts suggest that ethical responsibility and human values must guide AI adoption, during session on ‘The Work We Keep: What Will Still Be Human in a Future Led by AI and Machines’

19 September, 2025, Bengaluru: The Centre for Software and Information Technology Management (CSITM) hosted a panel discussion titled, ‘The Work We Keep: What Will Still Be Human in a Future Led by AI and Machines’, on 18th September 2025. CSTIM conducted the online seminar as part of its initiative to promote dissemination and application of knowledge for the benefit of academics and professionals from all walks of industry. The event saw the panelists sharing their perspectives on the subject, followed by a discussion with the moderator and a brief Q&A session. The event drew participation from more than 200 attendees representing academia, industry and policy institutions.

The panel discussion featured leading thought leaders in HR, Engineering and Strategy, including, Dr. Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor Professor of Management, Director, Center for Human Resources, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Elizabeth Gerber, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and (by courtesy) Computer Science, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, and Dr. Prithwiraj Choudhury, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The discussion was moderated by Prof. Malavika R. Harita, Founder & CEO, Brand Circle, and Member, IIMB Board of Governors. These global scholars and practitioners offered valuable insights for industry, start-ups and academia, during the discussion.

Venkatesh Balakrishnan, Manager, CSITM, delivered the welcome address, providing an overview of the Centre’s activities and its ongoing initiatives. Shivam Srivastava, Consultant, CSITM, anchored the session and introduced the speakers.

Dr. Elizabeth Gerber focussed her talk on how AI can support human collaboration, with mentoring, empathy, judgment, creativity and innovation remaining the strengths. “With the huge impact that technology has made on us, in the future, the reality could be more robots working all around us instead of humans, unless we do something to counter this. What could we do to have people engaging deeper with each other, how to get technology to help us achieve this, what tools or technical expertise are needed for tomorrow’s workplace, most importantly – how AI systems can help us help each other better, are the things we need to look deep into.”

She quoted from studies to say that during mentorship within organizational frameworks, solving well-defined problems in contrast with ill-defined ones are easier for AI systems. “We need human coaches since novices lack metacognitive skills for ill-defined issues. Dedicated, tailored coaching from experienced mentors is the best way. Despite AI’s power, contextual understanding, emotional calibration and adaptive trust are areas that AI can only support, but cannot own – that is uniquely human. We need to ensure that AI does not replace coaching, augmenting it instead, helping coaches craft emotionally resonant strategies. Many executive concerns centre around AI replacing roles, but studies prove that AI scaffolds human collaboration, especially in ill-defined domains.”

Discussing the way forward, she added, “Leaders can use AI to elevate human judgment and empathy, amplifying strategic and emotional resonance in mentoring, coaching and leadership development. They have to retain human trust and adaptability in high uncertainty contexts and invest in AI-human hybrid systems – enhancing human capacity and not eroding it. They need to evaluate AI not by labor saved, but by how much it deepens human performance and relational outcomes. AI can remix existing ideas, but it cannot feel. Empathy, the ability to step into another person’s world and understand unspoken needs, is the heart of innovation. The most powerful AI in the workplace will not be the one that replaces humans, but the one that makes them richer, stronger and more effective.”

Dr. Gerber also shared her organization’s vision, which she said involves combining management strategies with design interest to build solutions to complex problems. “We believe that in the future we want to live in connection with others and retain humanity, and not let AI take over the world. Empowering people through technology and services to work within local communities is the path we aim to follow.”

Dr. Peter Cappelli started his talk by discussing why it was so hard to find examples where AI has changed work. He walked the audience through what was happening inside organizations using AI, including Dataiku, Pitney Bowes, the Royal Bank of Canada, Jable, Accenture, Mastercard, etc., adding that there was a lot of exaggeration about what AI does, or can do, and clarified that recent layoffs linked to AI were often driven by investor pressure and not due to the impact of automation. “The studies often show that there is no real empirical evidence of job losses, or robotics. A lot of it stems from the pressure to show progress or reduce headcount, which is AI washing, a marketing strategy used by many companies to gain competitive advantage. The other reality is that automation is not always cheaper or easier since AI fees, programming, quality monitoring, and a lot more are also involved.”

“AI is impressive in certain tasks, but it cannot replicate the human capacity to contextualize, judge and exercise wisdom, which remains indispensable. Actually, the biggest challenge is in management or organizational change. Leaders have to identify which tasks could use AI and how, and remember that employee cooperation is crucial, especially in white collar jobs. Big gains are in being able to do new tasks better – ultimately doing more with the same staff. Redesigning workflow will result in AI complementing, and not burdening, the employees.” He cautioned organizations that implementing automation, without redesigning managerial and workflow systems, risks shifting the burden unfairly onto employees.

He pointed out that the future of work with AI is not just about technology, but about the people who manage that technology, and redesigning systems and structures around it. “Redefining roles and training personnel is the key to making it work. The benefit and cost of training need to be balanced to get the best results. To make progress, leaders have to assess how workforce transformation works. A lot is dependent on management, and not on technology.”

Dr. Prithwiraj Choudhury explained how AI is shaping not just what we do, but also where and how, and reminded us that the future of work is not about humans versus machines, but about creating systems where the two can work together, while keeping creativity, adaptability and trust at the core. “AI need not replace, but can complement, humans”, he pointed out. He emphasized that the challenge lies not in whether AI can enable such collaboration, but in ensuring equitable access and skill development across diverse contexts. He also drew attention to the uneven impact of AI across industries, noting that while in some areas automation remains cost-intensive, in others it creates entirely new opportunities for high-skill work.

He shared insights from his research on flexible work models and the global mobility of talent. “AI-enabled tools such as real-time translation and virtual collaboration platforms are redefining the geography of work. AI allows us to transcend barriers of distance, language and access. A coder in Bangalore can now seamlessly contribute to a team in Boston. Such flexibility, by boosting work-life balance, has a positive implication on employees and the society. For employers too, it implies an expansion, as well as more diversity, of the labor market,” he remarked.

“We should strive to create systems where technology and humans can coexist through creativity, adaptability and trust. It is true that AI-enabled collaboration is an enabler of borderless work, but equitable access is vital to avoid deepening divides. During organizational transformation, it is critical to think about reskilling and upskilling, find well-suited opportunities for everyone, and ensure that they are meaningful.” He also recommended going beyond English-centric AI and devising frameworks for developing low-resource language models.

The panel underscored a clear theme: AI will transform jobs, but the future of work will be defined by human qualities that machines cannot replicate, including imagination, empathy and ethical judgment. Prof. Malavika R. Harita, summed up the key inputs from the session and provided her insights, emphasizing that efficiency cannot be the sole measure; ethical responsibility and human values must guide AI adoption. “Business leaders need to greet AI with continuous learning and open imagination for the results to be transformative – provided trust, fairness, explainability and privacy are maintained”, she added.

The discussion concluded with a Q&A session that addressed questions on AI’s role in managerial decision-making, strategies for reskilling, and the risk of bias in recruitment systems. Participants also raised concerns about the potential over-automation of customer-facing roles and its implication on trust as well as quality of service.