Industry veteran urges optimism and balance, asserts AI will strengthen IT services and healthcare rather than replace workers
Veteran technology leader Ashok Soota has strongly countered remarks made by Silicon Valley investor Vinod Khosla at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, where Khosla claimed that IT services and BPO roles would “vanish within five years,” eventually leading to the disappearance of traditional IT outsourcing by 2030.
In a detailed response, Soota said such predictions overlook decades of evidence showing that technology consistently creates new opportunities rather than eliminating entire industries. “AI is a powerful enabler, not a human replacement,” he stated, adding that companies across the IT services landscape are already using AI to accelerate innovation, improve productivity, and expand market opportunities.
“AI is a catalyst for growth not a replacement for humans. Technology expands opportunities; it does not eliminate them.”
— Ashok Soota, Founder & Chairman, Happiest Minds & Happiest Health
Soota, who leads Happiest Minds, Happiest Health, and the medical research trust SKAN, highlighted real-world transformations where AI has enhanced not diminished demand for skilled human expertise. “IT services will remain essential for enterprises that need customised solutions, faster innovation cycles, and superior business outcomes,” he said. “The industry is not dying; it is growing as the essential partner for enterprises navigating the disruptive AI age.”
Healthcare: AI as a partner, not a replacement
Responding to Khosla’s prediction that doctors and expertise-based professions could be overtaken by AI by 2050, Soota emphasised the irreplaceable role of human judgement, nuance and empathy in medicine.
“AI is augmenting diagnostics, speeding up data analysis and enabling personalised treatment planning but strong human oversight remains indispensable,” he said. He cited global reports from WHO, WEF and KPMG showing that organisations adopting AI in healthcare are seeing ROI and competitive advantage, but always in combination with medical professionals, not in place of them.
A call for confidence in India’s tech future
Soota warned that dire predictions risk undermining confidence in India’s globally recognised IT ecosystem. He stressed that AI is expanding markets, creating knowledge-intensive roles, and reinforcing India’s leadership in digital transformation.
“Far from disappearing, IT services are becoming the trusted bridge between cutting-edge AI and real-world enterprise needs,” he said.