NTT DATA Chief: AI Bubble Will Pop Fast — and Bounce Back Harder

NTT DATA CEO Abhijit Dubey says the coming AI bubble won’t drag on like previous tech cycles. In his view, it’ll deflate quickly and then rebound even stronger as companies finally align real adoption with today’s massive infrastructure spending. Demand for compute still outstrips supply, and chipmakers plus hyperscalers already hold most of the pricing power for the next few years.

Dubey believes AI is a long-term, unstoppable trend, even as supply shortages, regulation, and fears about jobs intensify. He admits the labour market will shift over the next decades but says NTT DATA is still hiring while rethinking its recruitment approach.

At the Reuters NEXT conference, others echoed that disruption is coming. Writer Inc.’s CEO said many clients are openly looking to freeze headcount growth — or cut teams once AI tools roll in. Still, a recent PwC survey shows daily GenAI use remains far below what executives claim, even though AI-skilled workers now earn a notable wage premium. The gap in training access between senior leaders and non-managers is also widening.