TLDR: The ET World Leaders Forum 2025 highlighted the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence across various sectors, emphasizing the need for nations, particularly India, to embrace its benefits while proactively addressing associated risks like job displacement and the critical need for “compute security.” Industry leaders and policymakers discussed AI’s role in driving efficiency and innovation, alongside the challenges of workforce adaptation and the geopolitical implications of controlling AI infrastructure.
The Economic Times World Leaders Forum 2025, held on August 22-23, 2025, in New Delhi, served as a crucial platform for global leaders, top MNC CEOs, and policymakers to deliberate on the profound impact of Artificial Intelligence. A central theme of the forum was the imperative for nations to be prepared for both the immense benefits and the significant risks posed by AI’s rapid advancement. Industry stakeholders underscored AI’s potential to revolutionize various sectors, promising improved efficiencies and personalized user experiences .
However, a strong cautionary note was sounded regarding potential job displacement, particularly within the traditional IT and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sectors. Experts urged India to shift its focus from being a backend engine to becoming an innovation hub, developing world-class AI products to mitigate these risks . Jonathan Ross, Founder and CEO of Groq, emphasized the critical role of “raw compute power” as the new “oil” of the AI era. He stated, “Just like you need fuel to run an industrial economy, you need compute to run AI. If you don’t have that compute, you cannot deploy AI.” Ross further highlighted the distinction between AI and previous technological revolutions, noting that “the internet is about replicating and distributing information. AI is different, it’s about generating things never seen before… That requires compute.” He stressed that control over AI compute power would determine future global tech leadership and urged India to build sovereign AI capabilities, viewing the AI race as a matter of national competitiveness and geopolitical significance .
Also Read:
- Groq CEO Jonathan Ross: Raw Compute Power is the New Geopolitical Battleground for AI Dominance
- Artificial Intelligence Reshaping Global Workforce, Shifting Roles Rather Than Eliminating Them
Panel discussions at the forum, such as “AI disruption: Strengths, challenges and glitches,” featured prominent figures like Rishit Jhunjhunwala (Global CEO, Truecaller), Akis Evangelidis (Co-founder & India President, Nothing), Prashanth Chandrasekar (CEO, Stack Overflow), Sandeep Sahai (CEO & Board Member, Clearwater Analytics), and Shub Bhowmick (CEO & Co-founder, Tredence) . These discussions delved into the multifaceted aspects of AI adoption, from its unprecedented efficiencies, particularly with generative AI, to the alarm raised over massive shifts in jobs . The consensus was that while AI brings transformative opportunities, it also necessitates a proactive approach to workforce reskilling and strategic national investments in AI infrastructure and innovation.
