Tips from Infosys CTO Rafee Tarafdar on How Engineering Students Can Stay Relevant in the Industry

Infosys chief technology officer (CTO) Rafee Tarafdar has a message for engineering students: Embrace AI to thrive in the future. Speaking at the Moneycontrol and CNBC-TV18 AI Alliance NCR Chapter in Gurugram, Tarafdar emphasized the importance of graduates with deep engineering backgrounds focusing on creating AI solutions.

According to Tarafdar, the AI-led world will have two main roles: creators of AI and consumers of AI. He believes that those who can create AI solutions will be highly relevant in the industry, as companies shift towards an AI-first world. Tarafdar highlighted the significance of engineering students developing new techniques and solutions using existing open-source or cloud-based models.

For those who may not be able to create AI solutions, Tarafdar suggested becoming consumers of AI. He explained that non-engineering students can still add value by becoming proficient in using AI tools and products. Tarafdar emphasized that both creators and consumers of AI will play meaningful roles in the industry.

Tarafdar’s advice comes at a time when companies like Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) are heavily investing in AI training for their employees. Infosys, in particular, has trained over 250,000 employees in GenAI, showcasing their commitment to preparing their workforce for the AI-first world.

With the launch of their AI offering called Topaz last year, Infosys is combining data analytics and AI to develop an AI-first core. Tarafdar’s insights shed light on the growing importance of AI in the industry and the opportunities it presents for both creators and consumers of AI solutions.