Soumitra Dutta - Author , Entreprenuer & Oxford Dean (former)

To Worry or Not To Worry, That is The Question: Soumitra Dutta on AI

For someone who did his doctorate in Artificial Intelligence, it is imperative for Soumitra Dutta, former dean of Oxford Said Business School, to take the lead and voice his opinion whenever the topic arises. Soumitra Dutta, also an entrepreneur, has mastered AI to a tee, and why shouldn’t he, especially when he has dedicated several years to teaching, researching and consulting on AI strategy. While the panic surrounding job cuts due to advancements in AI technology doesn’t seem to fade away, Soumitra’s views on the same say something else. The reason why he still remains a core influence in business-focused academics is that Soumitra always pushes the envelope to find practical solutions to the changing times, rather than absurdly reacting to them.

AI will remove jobs, replacing them with new ones

If you look today, there isn’t a product or service that hasn’t incorporated AI in its updates. So much so that almost every ad you see on television, from home appliances like air conditioners to customer service chatbots, everyone seems to have caught the AI bug. This only explains Soumitra’s point about how artificial intelligence is often used to enhance features or improve services. He adds, “AI will be able to reason better and be better at creativity. Machines will be able to do a vast range of things. There are chatbots already that build emotional bonds. There are millions of men in China with the same AI girlfriend “Xiaoice”. Have you seen the movie ‘Her’? (Where a man falls in love with his computer’s operating system)? It’s happening for real”

Expect major transformations in the next two decades or so

Soumitra Dutta is the author of books like Knowledge Processing and Applied Artificial Intelligence, which is why his views on this buzzing topic are always a delight to the ears. While others are certain that AI is here to take over humans in some or the other way, in Soumitra’s view, the future for humans is unpredictable. “It’s very exciting and worrying at the same time. But in the next 20 years, there will be a major transformation. But we need to ask: are we creating a better future?” Soumitra questions.
For someone who has spent several years in the field of education management, Dutta is sure that AI as a disruptive technology will not spare any sector. Talking about business schools, he says, “Business schools are going to have to be creative, have bold experiments and think how best we can prepare students and what we are preparing them for. What will their work look like...It’s very exciting and worrying at the same time.”