AI fluency and critical thinking are key

As enterprises race to become AI-first, Lakshmi Chandrasekharan, CHRO of Accenture in India, has a clear message for both students entering the workforce and professionals midway through their careers: relevance in the AI age will depend on learning how to be both broad and deep.Her first prescription is AI fluency for everyone, not just technologists. “AI is almost like a horizontal skill that cuts across,” she said, arguing that professionals in HR, finance, consulting or marketing must be conversant in AI technologies and confident using AI tools in everyday work. Used well, AI becomes almost like an assistant, or another colleague of yours who can help with tasks. But Chandrasekharan is equally clear that technical skills alone will not be enough. As AI becomes more autonomous, human capabilities grow more valuable, not less. “Judgment and ethics are going to be critical,” she said, particularly as organisations move towards agentic systems. Alongside this sits critical thinking—defining the problem statement, framing the questions—and the ability to imagine possibilities rather than simply execute tasks. For mid-career professionals, her advice centres on mindset. “Instead of thinking what this technology is going to do to you, you should focus on what this technology is going to do for you,” she said, warning that fear can be a bigger barrier than skills.