TCS: We’re not afraid of AI disrupting livelihoods

Mumbai: Calling GenAI a civilisational shift, TCS CEO K Krithivasan said the company is not afraid of the technology disrupting livelihoods and is prepared to cannibalise its own revenues if needed, leveraging AI to deliver client outcomes more effectively. “We are telling associates that if you find you can do something faster, better and cheaper with AI, you should proactively tell your customers – even if it cannibalises revenue. We are not afraid that this technology will take away our livelihood. We believe it will open up more opportunities. “You benefit more by embracing it than by resisting the change,” he said during a panel discussion at the Nasscom Technology Leadership Forum 2026 on Wednesday.

Krithivasan emphasised that the most critical element of this shift is cultural -the willingness to do things better even if it disrupts the current business model. That change, he said, must begin at the top. AI adoption cannot be delegated downward alone. “Leaders must build, test and experiment themselves. Junior employees may be more comfortable with AI tools, but leadership credibility depends on hands-on engagement.” While leaders across sectors acknowledged AI’s disruptive force, Krithivasan framed it as both a challenge and an opportunity-particularly for technology services companies. “We see this as both a challenge and an opportunity,” he said, pointing to the speed at which AI models are evolving. “Problems that haven’t been solved for decades are now being addressed. The ability of models to learn, unlearn and relearn is remarkable. Sometimes all it takes is a new prompt string to unlock significant value.”