Writing code no longer priority in AI era: Nandan Nilekani
17 Feb 2026

Nandan Nilekani, the co-founder and Chairman of Infosys, has said that artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way software is built and deployed.

He made the remarks during Infosys's Investor Day today.

Nilekani said this transition is different from earlier tech shifts as it represents a "root-and-branch" change in how businesses operate, rather than just adding a new layer of technology.

AI demands complete rethinking of business processes
Paradigm shift

Nilekani explained that unlike previous transitions like mobile or cloud, AI demands a complete rethinking of customer journeys, business processes, and organizational structures.

He said this is a major challenge for talent as the focus will no longer be on writing code but actually making AI work.

This transition will change job roles and operating models in the IT industry.

AI could create 170M new jobs globally
Job creation

Despite fears of automation displacing workers, Nilekani believes that AI will create a significant number of jobs.

He said the technology could generate as many as 170 million new high-growth jobs globally.

This comes as companies around the world ramp up their investments in AI and rethink their workforce strategies to remain competitive in an increasingly automated economy.

Need to modernize legacy systems for AI adoption
Infrastructure upgrade

Nilekani also stressed the need for companies to modernize their legacy technology infrastructure to reap the benefits of AI.

He warned that decades-old systems are a major barrier to adoption.

"If you really want a firm to take advantage of AI, you have to fundamentally clean this up," he said, calling it a "massive clean-up job" that everyone is dealing with.