MyVoice: Views of our readers 31st October 2026
In Short
Letters to the editor highlight the urgent need for government-industry partnerships, responsible AI deployment, and upskilling for small business workers amid tech layoffs.
Share :
MyVoice: Views of our readers 31st October 2026
Trust can’t be automated
I read with interest the piece on AI-proofing jobs (‘Job roles should be AI-proof in changing times’, THI Oct 30). Layoffs make headlines, but the quieter story is how little anyone tracks what happens to those who leave. Imagine every firm that cuts staff publishing a simple skills ledger, showing where its former employees landed within a year. Such honesty would let job seekers judge employers by outcomes rather than promises.
It would also pressure companies to retrain people before cutting them loose, not after. Workers, meanwhile, can build a personal resilience portfolio, mixing one human-facing skill like negotiation with one tool-facing skill like data prompting. Libraries could host free evening labs to test these combinations. Trust is still hard to automate.
Veda Chidanand, Bengaluru
Indian tech firms must do some soul-searching
This refers to “Job roles should be AI -proof in changing times”. Microsoft is neither the first nor the last tech company to have exercised workforce reduction, Oracle, Amazon, TCS and Cognizant have all done it. It is fast becoming a national workforce security challenge for India. GoI cannot treat this as a mere technology policy issue.
Reskilling is the key and the government must join hands with industry to train workforce on AI supervision, cybersecurity, data governance and cloud operations. We must build AI for employment, not only for convenience. While Indian tech companies must do some soul-searching in terms of treating human workforce with more sensitivity, GoI will have to work closely with these companies to carve a more sustainable employment path.
Bal Govind, Noida
Don’t ignore workforce in small firms
Apropos, “Job roles should be AI-proof in changing times”. Smaller businesses may also adopt AI to remain competitive, but they cannot always afford the training infrastructure available to large tech firms. Without targeted support, their employees’ risk being left behind, widening the gap between organised and informal work.
Government and industry bodies should create accessible training centres, shared digital resources and incentives for firms that retain existing staff. Courses must accommodate workers with different educational backgrounds and be available in regional languages. AI adoption should not become a privilege enjoyed by companies with deep pockets.
A fair transition must reach small enterprises and their workforce. Local colleges can design practical programmes around the regional employment needs and demand.
K Sakunthala, Coimbatore-641671
Responsible people-tech collaboration holds the key
This refers to “Job roles should be AI-proof in changing times” (THI, Oct 30). AI can remove repetitive work and free people for tasks requiring judgement, empathy and creativity. Yet these benefits will not arise automatically. Poorly designed systems can increase workloads, monitor employees excessively and make decisions that workers cannot challenge.
Companies should test AI tools for accuracy, bias and safety, explain how they affect performance assessments and retain meaningful human review. Employees must also be trained to question machine outputs rather than blindly accepting them.
The objective should be responsible collaboration between people and technology, not blind faith in automation or indiscriminate fear of it. Independent audits can make safeguards more than written promises to employees and regulators.
P S Harishmitha, Vellakoil-638111
Prepare workforce for automation
Apropos, “Job roles should be AI-proof in changing times”. The most practical response to automation is not to resist it but to prepare workers before disruption arrives. Companies introducing AI should map which tasks will change, identify emerging roles and offer paid training during working hours. Such investment is not charity; it preserves institutional knowledge and reduces the cost of repeatedly hiring new talent.
Courses must be linked to actual vacancies, not certificates without market value. Employees, too, must take responsibility for learning throughout their careers. A shared commitment to continuous training can help technological progress create opportunity rather than deepen insecurity. Independent evaluation can ensure training leads to genuine mobility, not merely attendance or certificates alone.
Abbharna Barathi, Chennai-23
