Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S Says AI Will Create More Jobs, Not Remove Them; Company to hire more School Graduates
Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S Says AI Will Create More Jobs, Not Remove Them; Company to hire more School Graduates
Company to hire more school graduates as AI reshapes job roles and skills pyramid
Cognizant Technology Solutions CEO Ravi Kumar S has said that the rise of artificial intelligence will not eliminate jobs but instead create more opportunities, especially for entry-level workers and school graduates. Speaking in an interview with Fortune, he said the company is changing its hiring model to match the evolving workforce needs in the AI era.
Ravi Kumar explained that traditional corporate structures often resemble a pyramid, with school graduates forming the base. This model, he said, is now shifting. “The pyramid is going to be broader and shorter, and the path to expertise is going to be faster,” he noted. Cognizant plans to hire more school graduates than ever before this year, signalling a major shift from conventional hiring trends in the tech industry.
He emphasised that AI should be seen as an amplifier of human potential rather than a replacement for human jobs. By providing the right tools, even school graduates can “punch above their weight,” he said. Kumar added that undergraduate education should evolve to focus more on using AI tools and developing interdisciplinary skills.
He stressed the need to rewire the K-12 education system to create lifelong learners capable of adapting to AI-led workflows. In the future, he said, professionals from non-STEM backgrounds — such as historians, sociologists, psychologists and journalists — will play a crucial role in enterprises. These individuals can blend core domain knowledge with computational skills to become problem finders in an AI-assisted environment.
According to him, problem-solving will no longer remain exclusive to STEM fields. With machines assisting in problem-solving, enterprises will see a more balanced mix of STEM and non-STEM talent at the core of business innovation.
