Bengaluru, India | February 17, 2026 — Infosys Co-founder and Chairman Nandan Nilekani has asserted that artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping the global technology landscape, signaling a major transformation in roles, skills, and enterprise operating models. Speaking at Infosys’ Investor Day 2026, Nilekani emphasized that traditional coding will no longer be the primary focus for technology professionals, as AI becomes the dominant engine behind software development and enterprise transformation. [business-s…andard.com], [moneycontrol.com]
AI Adoption Outpaces All Previous Tech Revolutions
Nilekani highlighted that AI is being adopted at a speed unmatched by earlier technological shifts—from the internet to the smartphone era. While the internet took more than 10 years to reach one billion users and smartphones about five years, AI is achieving similar milestones within just a couple of years, thanks to pre-existing digital infrastructure. [business-s…andard.com], [businesstoday.in]
Coding No Longer the Core Skill
According to Nilekani, emerging technology roles will now revolve around
- AI engineering,
- Agent orchestration, and
- Managing non-deterministic systems,
where the same prompt may generate different outcomes each time. These skill sets, he emphasized, will replace traditional coding as the central activity of tech professionals. [financialexpress.com], [moneycontrol.com]
A Structural Shift, Not Just Another Layer
Calling the AI wave a “root-and-branch” transformation, Nilekani noted that this transition is fundamentally different from earlier layers like mobile and cloud, which could be added onto existing systems. AI demands a complete rethinking of customer journeys, business processes, operating models, and organizational structures. [financialexpress.com], [moneycontrol.com]
Legacy Systems Now the Biggest Barrier
Nilekani underscored that decades of inherited technical debt across enterprises is now a major obstacle to effective AI deployment. Legacy modernization, he stressed, is no longer optional, given the high maintenance costs, siloed data, and rising security risks associated with outdated systems. “Accumulated tech debt must be paid,” he said, urging enterprises to accelerate system modernization to enable meaningful AI adoption. [business-s…andard.com], [economicti…atimes.com]
Massive New Job Opportunities Ahead
Contrary to fears of automation-driven job losses, Nilekani projected that the AI revolution will generate substantial employment opportunities. New roles such as AI engineers, forward deployment engineers, forensic analysts, and several data-centric positions—many previously nonexistent—are expected to grow rapidly. He also noted that AI could create as many as 170 million new high-growth jobs globally. [business-s…andard.com], [news18.com]
Enterprises Must Reinvent to Stay Competitive
Nilekani emphasized that the biggest challenge is not the technology itself—whose capabilities are accelerating far ahead of enterprise readiness—but the organizational and cultural transformation required to leverage AI effectively. This includes restructuring data landscapes, reskilling employees, redesigning workflows, and upgrading foundational systems. [financialexpress.com]
About Infosys
Infosys is a global leader in digital services and consulting, helping clients in more than 50 countries navigate digital transformation. The company continues to pioneer advances across cloud, AI, automation, and enterprise modernization.
