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By:

Prasad Dixit

11 October 2024 at 1:09:23 am

The Human Advantage in an Artificial Age

As artificial intelligence grows smarter and more efficient, the real battle may not be about machines surpassing humanity but about whether humans squander the qualities that still set them apart. With the recent news of a Chinese robot beating the human record in a half- marathon, there is renewed debate on how AI could outsmart human beings. Many experts see it as yet another proof of impending disaster as AI takes over most of the jobs in the years to come. This is not the first time when...

The Human Advantage in an Artificial Age

As artificial intelligence grows smarter and more efficient, the real battle may not be about machines surpassing humanity but about whether humans squander the qualities that still set them apart. With the recent news of a Chinese robot beating the human record in a half- marathon, there is renewed debate on how AI could outsmart human beings. Many experts see it as yet another proof of impending disaster as AI takes over most of the jobs in the years to come. This is not the first time when human civilization is facing a technological revolution that has the potential to impact society and economy in a profound manner. There is, however, a crucial difference with AI driven revolution that is often missed out. The first industrial revolution happened because steam engines were invented and it led to mechanization of production. It was followed by discovery of electrical energy and technologies to harness it for mass production. Next wave of evolution was led by computerization and automation in practically all the fields covering both offices and industrial shop floors through mainframes, personal computers, and programmable logic controllers. While all these leaps in technologies are very different in terms of the specific underlying inventions, they all have one thing in common. They were all invented to do things that were humanly impossible to do. One steam engine or electric motor could do the work that perhaps hundreds of humans would never be able to accomplish even with their collective muscle power. Automation of the manufacturing assembly line would deliver speed and accuracy that human beings would never be able to achieve. Beyond Human Technological advances in Telecommunication, for that matter, have simply expanded the range of 'hearing' and 'seeing' far beyond what human vocal chords, ears, and eyes could manage to do on their own. Computers, at its core, are essentially doing the math and calculations at a speed and accuracy that the human brain can never achieve. To add to that, machines using all these innovations in technology would work tirelessly without any fatigue for a duration that human beings would never be able to match. Although AI is yet another highly potent technological innovation, it is not as straightforward as the previous ones. It can absorb and synthesize huge amounts of data that the human brain perhaps cannot do. Ability of AI to answer any question reasonably well using all the global knowledge made available to it, summarize enormous amount of data and text quickly, quickly draw a complex picture based on instructions given verbally, predict a trend, recognize and highlight a specific face in a fraction of a second from millions of faces, write code based on simple English instructions, are all examples where the speed and accuracy of underlying computation is delivering what human being cannot match. However, there are several areas where human beings are trying to improve AI so that it can, some day, match or exceed capability that human beings themselves already have. Examples of this include the ability of AI to completely replace a human driver safely in all situations, understand full context or an intent behind a statement, carry out complex and well-coordinated mechanical activity in response to various unpredictable situations, react appropriately by correctly assessing the emotions at play, integrate generated code appropriately in the existing larger systems landscape, and so on. In such cases, AI is not exhibiting any capability that is humanly impossible to match. On the contrary, AI is trying to catch up with what humans can do easily. In other words, in these areas, AI is trying to become what humans already are. This very aspect separates AI driven technology revolution from all the previous ones. Direct Competition It is often said that AI and humans will co-exist in the future, and people will need to change their ways of working. It is obvious that AI is also going to directly compete with humans in many sectors. Equipment with an embedded chip on-board do compete with humans even today. A case in point is household equipment such as ‘intelligent’ washing machines and dish-washers where robots to do vacuum cleaning and floor mopping do compete with humans offering these services. A human household help can perform these activities far better than what a machine can do. However, given an affordable choice, an increasing number of households prefer machines over human maid services for a reason. Human household help may not always be punctual, sincere, honest, and reliable. But machines are. Uncontrolled emotions, anger, frustration, laziness, indiscipline, absenteeism do affect humans - but not AI driven machines (at least till the time AI itself acquires emotions of its own, and becomes self-aware some day). This aspect of comparison between AI and humans is likely to become far more prominent and consequential as AI driven machines and robots become more and more intelligent and thereby start competing far more effectively with human capability in many spheres. Competition is said to bring about improvement. Just as AI improves itself through continuous learning to mimic human behaviour and actions, human workforce also needs to improve itself by avoiding behavioural issues and inefficiencies referred to above. Otherwise, humans would lose the natural advantage that they still enjoy over AI, and which is likely to continue even in the foreseeable future. Employers or consumers in the labour-intensive service sector will accept AI driven machines and robots with all its known limitations if it turns out to be a better net-net deal in comparison to services offered by humans. This specific aspect has tremendous significance for India. Many Countries from the developed world do not have a young population with reasonably good IQ in required numbers. India, on the other hand, has it in abundance. One could compare it with abundant availability of Thorium or Sunlight in India as compared to the Western world. Consequently, unlike many Countries in the world that have a Uranium centric approach towards nuclear energy, India's approach needs to be centered around Thorium. India's strategy related to renewable, non-conventional, green energy needs to be based on solar power. Indian Context Strategies for adopting AI in the Indian context need to be similarly tailored for the Indian context. India needs to adopt AI in the areas where it clearly has an advantage over humans in terms of speed, throughput, ease of use, accuracy, and efficiency. However, the use of AI needs to be judiciously controlled in areas where AI is trying to catch up with the capabilities of the human mind and body. Several labour-intensive services such as drivers, caregivers for the elderly people, parcel delivery, security guards, maintenance and repair of various equipment, are all examples in that category. Educational policies and overall work culture in the Country needs to appreciate this reality. Just as AI experts are trying hard to 'teach' AI algorithms and improve them through supervised learning, another set of experts need to sensitize and teach humans on how to understand, appreciate, preserve, and further hone the significant natural advantage that they already have over AI. Despite all the technological breakthroughs in AI, in many areas, still, it is a battle that humans will lose only if they choose to. (The writer works in the Information Technology sector. Views personal.)

Small Businesses, Big Challenges

Despite driving nearly 30 per cent of India’s GDP, many MSMEs still struggle with the basics of workforce management.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of the Indian economy, contributing nearly 30 per cent to the GDP and employing over 110 million people across sectors. They remain the foundation of India’s industrial growth, supporting both local and export markets. Yet, despite their scale and significance, many MSMEs continue to struggle with effective workforce management.


Several factors act as roadblocks for MSMEs in managing their workforce effectively. These challenges can be understood more clearly when examined one by one:


1. Employer/Owner Mindset: Leadership plays a pivotal role in any company. In many MSMEs, founders take on multiple responsibilities, leaving little time for people management or business development. Most decisions rest solely with the founder. While this approach may work in the early stages, it becomes increasingly unsustainable as the organisation grows. Employees often feel constrained by such micromanagement, as they must seek the owner’s approval for even routine matters, eventually prompting many of them to leave.


Another reality is that, because owners shoulder multiple roles, they often feel overburdened and admit that they rarely find the time to think about broader business strategies.


2. Attracting the right talent: Attracting the right talent is a persistent challenge for many MSMEs, as larger organisations offer better salaries, benefits, and growth opportunities. Younger professionals, in particular, tend to prefer the stability and recognition associated with big brands.


In many MSMEs, recruitment is driven by referrals rather than a well-defined process. At times, budget constraints lead employers to compromise on candidates’ qualifications and experience. However, without the capacity to provide adequate training or feedback, the mismatch in skills only widens. This ultimately creates frustration for both the employer and the employee.


3. Retaining the right people: Once an employee is hired, retaining them becomes another challenge. Without a clear job description, employees are often expected to handle multiple tasks without proper feedback, leading to role confusion. This lack of clarity, coupled with limited motivation, recognition, or a defined career path, frequently results in burnout and, ultimately, resignation.


In the absence of structured policies and processes, owners tend to focus heavily on operations, delivery, and customer satisfaction, leaving little room for people development, feedback, or recognition.


4. Lack of Performance Appraisal: In the absence of proper job descriptions, the performance appraisal process is often poorly defined. Assessments tend to rely on subjective impressions rather than objective data. As a result, employees may feel they are not being fairly rewarded for the work and effort they put in. This dissatisfaction frequently prompts them to resign in search of better opportunities and recognition.


Some owners also acknowledge that they are not fully aware of the contributions their employees make, which further complicates the appraisal process.


5. Lack of Training or Skill Upgrade: Although training is an investment, some companies view it merely as an expense. Owing to limited budgets and time constraints, they often avoid providing training to their employees. Another challenge is the absence of a fully fledged HR department, and many MSMEs are also unaware of government-sponsored training schemes available to the sector.


What employees really want

According to a survey conducted by Randstad in March 2025, employees want:

• Work–life balance – Employees prioritise flexibility and a healthy balance between their personal and professional lives.

• Training and growth – Opportunities for career development, training, and upskilling are highly valued.

• Purpose and values – Employees seek roles that align with their personal values and life goals.

• Salary – This ranks as the fourth priority.


Improving the existing system does not require a large budget. Clearly defining job responsibilities, providing timely feedback, and communicating expectations to employees can significantly enhance overall performance. By doing so, owners can free up their time to focus on business strategy and scale their operations more effectively.


(The writer has experience of over three decades in HR from diverse industries. He helps MSME and SME organisations to scale up their business.)

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