AI Reality Check! Narayana Murthy Debunks Artificial Intelligence 'Hype': 'Silly Old Programs'

Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy has remarked that AI (artificial intelligence) has become a buzzword in India, with many tech companies are presenting ordinary programs as AI innovations. Speaking at TiE Con Mumbai 2025, he said, “…it has become a fashion in India to talk of AI for everything. I have seen several normal ordinary programs touted as AI”.

Murthy explained that there are two fundamental principles in AI --- machine learning (large-scale correlation which helps you based on a large amount of data to predict) and simple machine learning (deep learning which imitates how the human brain works). Deep learning will be able to solve and handle “unsupervised algorithms”, while machine learning handles “supervised algorithms”, he stated.

He debunked the AI hype, saying, “Unsupervised data which uses deep learning and neural networks has far greater potential to replicate human behaviour. However, much of what is being labeled as AI today consists of outdated or basic programs”.

Currently, Infosys is developing small language models using open-source components and its proprietary data sets.

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AI: Hype or Reality?

Whipro CIO Anup Purohit has earlier stated that organisations as now striving to unlock business value through innovative methods to engage customers and employees, enhance operational efficiencies, and generate new revenue streams.

“We are working towards a future where AI is integrated seamlessly into everyday operations beyond the honeymoon period and into a mature phase. This growth isn’t confined to technology firms; conventional sectors like banking finance, and healthcare are also progressively integrating AI to improve operational efficiency and boost customer engagement,” he had told PTI.

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He added that AI is not longer the flavour of the season but is now the “reality at scale”. “It is gaining momentum across all business domains and sectors. Even those that were traditionally considered laggards like BFSI or healthcare are looking forward to embracing AI.”

According to a survey conducted by PwC on the same, around 75% of business decision-makers would prefer either purely AI advisors or a combination of AI and human advisors to make their promotion decisions.

Business decision makers deem AI powered solutions such as machine learning, virtual private assistants, decision support systems, automated data analysts and others to be have a high impact on their businesses in the future, it added.