Infosys Chair: AI Ends Excuses for Legacy Tech, Reshaping IT Services Landscape

Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani has declared that AI tooling eliminates any justification for retaining outdated legacy systems, an inflection point for the IT services industry. This strategic declaration reframes technical debt from a perpetual cost center into a solvable problem. The statement serves as a direct challenge from a major industry architect, positioning generative AI as the primary driver for a new wave of enterprise modernization that has been promised for years but is only now becoming technically feasible.

This shift puts immense pressure on global system integrators, including Infosys itself, to transition from labor-based models to ones centered on AI-driven efficiency and high-value consulting. While clients stand to benefit from accelerated modernization, service providers face a critical challenge: prove their AI platforms deliver superior value over commodity tools. The move signals a future where IT service contracts will be based on guaranteed productivity outcomes, not billable hours or headcount.