By Lolita Mendonca and Agnelo Rodrigues for BIS Mumbai

The sixth session of the Classroom to Career seminar series curated by Don Bosco Avsar, for under graduate college students was held on February 14, 2026 at the Don Bosco Provincial House AV Hall.   The seminar focused on the timely and impactful theme “AI at the Workplace.”

The session was led by Kanchan Taksale, who, after several years of corporate experience, has transitioned into full-time teaching in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Drawing from both industry and academic perspectives, she provided students with a practical understanding of how AI is transforming today’s workplaces.

Prof. Taksale highlighted how artificial intelligence is reshaping professional environments by saving time, reducing errors, improving decision-making, and significantly enhancing productivity. She emphasised that modern workplaces increasingly expect employees to leverage AI tools as productivity enablers, rather than view them as optional add-ons.

She explained that AI applications today span across almost all organisational functions, including Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, IT, and Engineering. Through relatable examples, she illustrated how AI is already embedded in daily operations—screening resumes, analysing interviews, and predicting attrition in HR; detecting fraud, forecasting expenses, and automating audits in Finance; generating content and advertisements in Marketing; and supporting coding, bug prediction, and smart testing in IT.

Addressing common anxieties around AI, Prof. Taksale acknowledged the widespread fear that artificial intelligence may replace jobs. She clarified that AI replaces tasks, not humans, leaving creativity, ethical judgement, emotional intelligence, and communication as distinctly human strengths. She also drew attention to important ethical concerns such as bias, privacy, plagiarism, and over-dependence on technology. Drawing historical parallels with the advent of computers, the internet, and smartphones, she reminded students that while these technologies were once feared, the workforce eventually adapted—and today, they are indispensable.

To make the session highly practical, Prof. Taksale introduced students to a curated set of AI tools commonly used in workplaces today, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Canva, Gamma, Napkin, Julius, and Krutrim. Through live demonstrations, she showed how these tools can be practically applied to enhance efficiency, creativity, and output at the workplace.

“A degree may help you secure an interview, but an AI mindset is what will build and sustain your career in the long run.” — Prof. Kanchan Taksale

The live demonstrations powerfully reinforced the importance of maintaining a continuous learning mindset and embracing AI as a collaborative partner at work. The session concluded with a clear and empowering message: those who learn to harness AI responsibly and creatively will be better prepared for the future of work.