University education provides the foundation in the age of AI, say experts

Experts at The Hindu Tech Summit 2026 emphasize university education's crucial role in shaping talent for an AI-driven future.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) experts, industry leaders, and educationists on Friday (February 13, 2026) discussed the future of academia and university education with the growing importance and usage of AI globally, at The Hindu Tech Summit 2026, hosted by The Hindu, presented by Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), and co-presented Sify Technologies, in Chennai.

The session titled “AI, Academia and Resilience: Building Institution and Talent for an Uncertain Future” featured Dr. Sandhya Pentareddy, Executive Director, Vellore Institute of Technology, Jagdish Ramaswamy, Board of Advisors and Advisor Digital Transformation, Jayam SCM Consultants Pvt. Ltd., V. Kumaraswamy, author and independent consultant, and Dr. Ashwin Sadasiva Kumar, Senior Vice-President, Learning and Campus Head, Virtusa. It was moderated by Nagaraj, Vice-President, Data and Analytics, The Hindu.

Speaking about the unique value a student secures while pursuing formal university education, Dr. Pentareddy said: “We produce intelligent, inquisitive, and adaptable human beings who shape future societies. The value of university education is more than a course you can learn online. I always say that people learn only 40% in their classroom. Students gain from peer-to-peer learning – interacting with other students and professors and when they meet industrialists. Research is the backbone of the country, and we need to do a lot more of it.”

On the need for removing negative attitudes toward AI and the presumed loss of jobs that its adoption would likely result in, Mr. Kumaraswamy said: “We need to get out of the mindset of... experience and step-by-step progression. You are used to seeing your seniors and general managers at 45 [years of age]. We need to see more 25-year-old general managers. The negative connotation regarding job losses is really overdone. I think NITI Aayog has estimated that 1.5 million jobs will be lost, primarily at the base level. But look at the opportunity. They are projecting $1.5 trillion worth of opportunity.”

He further said, “AI has been there for much longer, but it has been making noise only in the past two years. We must move towards something [a concept of a university] which is not a ‘place constant’.”

Reacting to a question on AI’s impact on students pursuing liberal arts, he added, “No field is going to be exempt. AI is in the preliminary stages... in the developmental stage. But everybody has to be on alert.”