Is the IT Model Dead? Wipro CTO Hari Shetty Rebuts AI Fearmongering

In a powerful address that balances caution with industrial optimism, Wipro Chief Strategist and Technology Officer, Hari Shetty, has declared that Artificial Intelligence will be the “dominant force” in the global economy for the next 20 years.

Speaking on February 23, 2026, Hari dismissed fears that AI is a threat to the Indian IT sector, instead framing it as “the single biggest opportunity” since the invention of electricity and the internet.

The Shift to the “Autonomous Enterprise”

Hari argues that the industry is moving beyond simple “task automation” toward the era of the “Autonomous Enterprise.”

In this new phase, IT companies will no longer just manage software but will work deeply with clients to build self-optimizing business systems.

He compares this transition to the rise of cloud computing—a shift that many feared would reduce work, but which actually expanded the scope of services provided by IT firms.

Wipro CTO Speaks on Skills for Survival: The New Talent Hierarchy

To thrive in this AI-dominated future, Hari emphasizes that the primary differentiator will be between “people who know AI and people who do not.”

He highlighted three specific skill sets that will safeguard IT professionals:

• Model Training & Tuning: The ability to train and refine specialized AI models for specific business outcomes.
• Data Curation: High-level expertise in managing and preparing the vast, high-quality datasets that fuel AI engines.
• Responsible AI Practices: A critical focus on ethical deployment, bias mitigation, and regulatory governance.

Hari pointed to World Economic Forum estimates suggesting that AI might disrupt 92 million roles.

However, the same report expects the technology to generate 170 million new ones.

He noted that Wipro is actively hiring “AI-literate” junior engineers to ensure the industry’s staffing pyramid remains robust.

A Multi-Decade Growth Engine

Despite recent stock market jitters over AI’s ability to automate legacy code, Wipro’s CTO remains bullish.

He asserts that software development is about complex enterprise architecture that AI cannot yet handle independently.

Hari believes the Indian IT sector will grow through the 2040s by moving from a headcount-heavy model to a value-driven approach.

This growth will be fueled by an AI-integrated strategy.

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