CEO speaks: The Three Questions That Guide Every Big Decision

Recruiters will, very soon, not ask if you know how to use Generative AI (GenAI). They will ask something far more pertinent: “What can you do with GenAI that others can’t?” That question captures a fundamental shift already underway in the professional sphere. Knowing how to access AI will no longer distinguish one candidate from another. Everyone will have that access. The true differentiator will be imagination, application and the ability to produce outcomes that weave human judgment with machine intelligence.
GenAI has democratised access to AI in ways the world has never seen before. Millions can prompt tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Midjourney, but only a few can craft solutions that reshape how industries operate. A digital skills report from TeamLease already points to a staggering 53 percent talent shortfall projected by 2026, with only one qualified professional for every ten open roles in generative AI. The gap between those who merely use and consume AI and those who can truly “think” with it is widening rapidly.
It is no longer about coding or command of technology alone… it is about contextual intelligence, the ability to blend domain knowledge in finance, healthcare, media, or law with the possibilities that generative models unlock. Recruiters have begun to recognise this. They are not just looking for qualifications or certifications but for evidence of originality like how candidates design, build, automate, and ethically deploy AI to create value where none existed before. And how intelligently they can “prompt” systems.
Traditional credentials such as degrees, marks, and years of experience will no longer guarantee relevance. What will matter more is the capacity to reimagine workflows, to embed AI into routine tasks and transform them into intelligent processes that save time, reduce errors, and expand creative bandwidth.
Most people today still use AI like a search engine: type a prompt, get an answer and move on. But the real innovators are those who can refine outputs, calibrate bias, chain multiple models, and feed domain-specific data to produce results that are not just novel but meaningful. At Sister Nivedita University, we have already begun this transformation. Our students are encouraged to move from user mode to creator mode and to see GenAI not as an external tool but as an extension of their own cognition. In our classrooms and laboratories, we ask students to build GenAI-powered workflows, assess their impact, and reflect critically on their ethical and creative choices. The goal is to produce graduates who are not just employable but indispensable. We want to nurture individuals who are fluent in both human context and machine logic.
Ironically, as machines become more capable, the traits that define humanity become even more valuable. Judgment, empathy, creativity, ethical reasoning, and narrative sense, these are not replaceable by algorithms. If anything, GenAI amplifies their importance. The professionals who will thrive are those who can make machines think with them rather than for them. They will know how to deconstruct messy real-world problems into tasks a machine can understand, and how to interpret and challenge AI outputs instead of accepting them blindly. The future of work will belong to those who see AI not as competition but as collaboration, who understand that intelligence, when shared between human and machine, multiplies rather than divides.
This shift demands a reimagining of education itself. The task before universities is not to teach students about technology, but to teach them through it, to cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and ethical awareness in tandem with technical skill. We must prepare graduates who can engage with GenAI as co-creators of solutions, who can ask better questions, and who can build workflows that reflect both precision and purpose. Again, at Sister Nivedita University, we are trying to do our bit by redesigning curricula, pedagogy, and assessment around this idea.
The narrative that AI will replace jobs is too simplistic. GenAI will not eliminate human roles; it will redefine them. Just as previous technological revolutions displaced some functions but created entirely new industries, this one will create roles not seen before like AI ethicists, prompt engineers, workflow designers, data storytellers, and creative technologists. Recruiters will look for individuals who are comfortable at this intersection, who combine domain expertise with GenAI fluency. For them the true currencies of the future workforce shall be adaptability, imagination, and resilience.
Ultimately, the question isn’t about tools or prompts. It’s about how you use GenAI to amplify curiosity, creativity, and impact. The real edge lies in harnessing machine capabilities without losing the human touch. GenAI isn’t just redefining work, it’s redefining worth. Those who can fuse human intelligence with machine capability won’t just stay relevant, they will be the pathbreakers who shall lead the world into its next frontier!
The author is the Vice-Chancellor of Sister Nivedita University and Group CEO, Techno India Group. A visionary leader, he is shaping future-ready institutions and inspiring students to lead with purpose