TCS calls GenAI a civilizational shift, not just another tech cycle

Generative AI (GenAI) has emerged as the most transformative force of 2024, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) chairman N. Chandrasekaran said in the company’s annual report, describing GenAI not as another passing technology cycle but as a “civilizational shift.”

GenAI’s rapid adoption is being supercharged by breakthroughs in semiconductors, cloud computing, quantum technologies, robotics, and energy innovation, Chandrasekaran said, while pointing out that with near-human reasoning capabilities, it is already reshaping data analytics, customer engagement, and marketing strategies.

Chandrasekaran also put the spotlight on the emergence of autonomous robots and AI agents, predicting a future of “dark factories”—manufacturing units that operate without human presence—and AI-assisted enterprise functions that could redefine operational models across sectors.

In his letter to shareholders, Chandrasekaran said he believed every industry stands to benefit from GenAI, while highlighting that “TCS is proactively leading this change.”

“We have systematically infused AI across our offerings and built intelligent agent solutions throughout the value chain,” he said. “Looking ahead, we will deliver solutions through a human+AI model, invest in AI infrastructure and forge industry-best partnerships.”

However, to lead in this new world, the Tata boss cautioned that the company, too, must “continuously evolve.”

“The path is clear: IT and business services are moving toward autonomous operations. Software development is being redefined by AI-led modernization, as legacy code is being transformed rapidly. Finally, agentic AI is being embedded deeply into enterprise systems,” he said.

Chandrasekaran, who is also Tata Sons chairman, said this year the company, which launched its own enterprise-grade GenAI platform—TCS WisdomNextTM—will have the largest AI-trained workforce in the industry.

Looking ahead, Chandrasekaran said TCS plans four key shifts: it will build a large pool of AI agents to work alongside humans, deliver solutions through a human+AI model, invest in AI data centers and cloud infrastructure, and forge top-tier partnerships with hardware makers, solution innovators, and startups.

Echoing the chairman’s vision, TCS chief executive officer K. Krithivasan said more clients are moving beyond small, one-off AI projects and now want to see real returns from scaling up the technology.

To help them, TCS is setting up AI centers and labs to test ideas, building safe and reliable AI platforms, and using over 150 AI tools to improve day-to-day business tasks, Krithivasan said.

The company is also adding AI to areas such software development, tech upgrades, and cybersecurity, while building secure cloud systems designed to work smoothly with AI, he added.