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AI to Make Coding Secondary, Says Infosys' Nilekani

Nandan Nilekani, Chairman of Infosys, stated that artificial intelligence will fundamentally alter software development, making writing code a secondary task for technology professionals. He emphasized that the transition requires companies to overhaul business processes and organizational structures, not just add a new technology layer. The shift will demand new skills in areas like AI engineering and managing non-deterministic systems. These comments come amid investor concerns that AI disruption could significantly impact the revenue of traditional IT services firms.

Key Points: AI Will Change Tech Jobs, Says Infosys' Nilekani

  • AI is a root-and-branch change
  • Coding will not be the primary tech job
  • New skills in AI engineering needed
  • Legacy systems hinder AI adoption
2 min read

Coding will no longer be tech professionals' primary job: Infosys' Nandan Nilekani

Infosys' Nandan Nilekani predicts AI will make writing code a secondary task, fundamentally reshaping tech jobs and requiring new skills.

"Talent will have to deal with the world where writing code will not be the goal, it will be actually making AI work. - Nandan Nilekani"

Bengaluru, Feb 17

Nandan Nilekani, Co‑founder and Chairman of Infosys, said on Tuesday that artificial intelligence will fundamentally change how software is built and deployed, adding that writing code will no longer be the primary job for technology professionals.

Addressing the Infosys' Investor Day, Nilekani described the AI transition as a "root‑and‑branch" change that requires firms to rethink customer journeys, business processes and organisational structures rather than merely adding a new layer of technology.

"Talent will have to deal with the world where writing code will not be the goal, it will be actually making AI work," he said, adding that it will change the nature of jobs and operating model.

Nilekani said enterprises will require new skills in AI engineering, agent orchestration, and managing non-deterministic systems, where one prompt should generate different outcomes each time.

He warned that companies will be pressed to deal with long-deferred issues such as legacy systems and technical debt, which limit their ability to adopt AI effectively.

"The technology is far ahead of its deployment. Model performance is going up, but progress in implementing is not really there because implementing this is hard stuff. Fundamentally, it's about organisational change, business change, retraining your people, changing your data so it's no longer in silos," Nilekani added.

The comments assume significance as the technology sector saw heightened panic selling in the previous week, sending the Nifty IT index down 5.51 per cent in just one day. Investors were spooked over AI‑led disruption that could replace traditional services that generate large revenue streams for Indian IT firms. The launch, earlier this month, by US-based AI company Anthropic of "Claude Cowork," an AI assistant with a new automation layer, has created fear among the traditional IT services firms.

International broker Jefferies described the product launch and resultant meltdown in NASDAQ as "SaaSpocalypse". Some strategists warned of potential revenue deflation of up to 40 per cent if agentic AI displaces traditional services already facing margin pressure.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Rohit P
Nilekani sir is absolutely right. The real challenge for Indian IT isn't the AI tech itself, but our legacy systems and data silos. Companies need to invest in cleaning up their technical debt first, otherwise AI implementation will fail. This is more about change management than technology.
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David E
As someone who manages a team in Bengaluru, this transition is daunting but necessary. We're already seeing client requirements shift. It's not just about writing code anymore; it's about defining the right problems for AI to solve. The "SaaSpocalypse" fear is real for revenue models.
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Ananya R
Respectfully, I think the panic is overblown. Coding will evolve, not disappear. Someone still needs to understand logic, algorithms, and system design to make AI "work" as Nilekani says. The core engineering mindset will always be valuable. We should adapt, not fear.
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Karthik V
The bigger issue is retraining. We have millions of software professionals. How will companies like Infosys, TCS, Wipro reskill them? And what about fresh graduates? Engineering colleges need to overhaul their curriculum immediately. This is a massive national challenge.
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Sarah B
"Agent orchestration" and "non-deterministic systems" – these are the new buzzwords. It means moving from predictable, line-by-line code to managing intelligent, sometimes unpredictable, agents. This requires a completely different skillset. Exciting but scary times for the IT sector.

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