AI in the workplace: By 2027, you will not have human colleagues, says study

The next phase of transformation is here. In another couple of years, humans will work together with Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the latter will augment human capabilities. Experts say AI is already re-shaping the job and empowering employees. 

Nasscom, which represents the country's vast technology industry, valued at over $284 billion, along with job site Indeed, released a report titled 'Work Reimagined: The Rise of Human-AI Collaboration' that reveals 97 per cent of HR leaders anticipate that the nature of work will be shaped by humans working alongside AI by 2027, rather than engaging with it only intermittently.

"What's changing isn't the number of jobs, it's what those jobs expect from people," Indeed India MD Sashi Kumar said, adding that they are seeing roles evolve internally long before hiring signals catch up.

The report reveals that 20-40 per cent of work across technology organisations is already being done through AI across functions, and 45 per cent of the respondents highlighted that over 40 per cent of the software development is done by AI.

"AI is no longer a future consideration for the technology industry and is already shaping how work gets done. The real opportunity now lies in preparing people to work effectively alongside AI," Nasscom Head of Research Ketaki Karnik said.

To stay relevant, HR experts said that job seekers should get familiar with AI tools. Melento (formerly SignDesk) founder and CEO Krupesh Bhat said talent is the country's biggest advantage, but only if reskilling is treated as economic infrastructure, not an HR problem.

The report highlights that roles are evolving faster than they are being articulated or formalised. Every seven in ten HR leaders are focusing on upskilling, and more than half are focusing on modernising systems. TECHVED Co-founder and CEO Mohar V said AI is no longer a pilot initiative and it is now a revenue engine. "Large-scale, outcome-driven skilling is essential for India to remain the world's preferred technology partner," he said.

Interestingly, now, for entry-level talent, organisations are expecting job-ready candidates, with assessments shifting toward live projects, hackathons, case-based questions, portfolios and a greater focus on measurable outcomes. "For mid- and senior-level hiring, evaluation focuses on end-to-end ownership, decision-making under ambiguity, and multidisciplinary skill sets, with an increased emphasis on past projects and their impact," according to the report.