Question

Read the extract and complete the activities given below:

Change is the only constant and disruptive technologies are only quickening its pace. “I've been an entrepreneur all my life. Never has the pace of change been as high as it is today. Today, we are facing a large number of disruptive forces, especially those caused by technology,” Nilekani said. He shared the example of the iPhone, which is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary. “What we have seen in the past 10 years is a complete change in the balance of technology from serving the enterprise to serving the consumer. Today, when you look at the leading companies in the world by Market Capitalisation, they are all companies that service consumers like Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple and so on. This is because the balance of power has shifted to consumer technology,” He said.      The constant change will require constant learning and relearning. The core message from Nilekani therefore was: Lifetime learning. “The good news is that you have got degree from IIT Madras. The not so good news is that you can't stop learning. You will have to keep learning for the rest of your life because we are now entering an era of lifelong learning,” he said. And by life-long learning, he didn't mean “going to a campus and have fun for five years.” It will be learning in short bursts, any time learning, anywhere learning. It's going to be just in time learning. A lot of it will even be online learning.      This need for constant learning and relearning will come because of our collective inability to predict the kind of jobs that will be done in future or the kind of organisations that people will be working for in future. The high rate of automation in the jobs will have an impact on the way jobs are done. We have seen in the past that technology has made repetitive jobs go away as computers became more and more powerful. In the past 10-15 years, you are seeing the rise of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Machine Learning. And increasingly, in the last 5-6 years, the rise of deep learning, which allows you to use a new kind of technology called neural networks that use a lot of data to make machines smarter and smarter.

Write a ‘Summary’ of the above extract by using the following points:

Change and disruptive technologies — constant learning and relearning — lifelong learning — impact on the job.

Answer 1

The rapid advancement of disruptive technologies is reshaping industries, shifting the focus from enterprises to consumers. Companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple dominate due to the growing influence of consumer technology. This rapid transformation necessitates constant learning and relearning to keep pace with technological changes. Lifelong learning is essential in an era where traditional education alone is insufficient. Instead of formal, long-term academic programs, individuals must engage in short bursts of learning, often through online platforms.

The impact on jobs is significant as automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Deep Learning continue to evolve. Many repetitive jobs have already been replaced by technology, and new advancements, such as neural networks, are making machines smarter. The unpredictable nature of future job roles highlights the urgent need for adaptability and continuous skill development.