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'One person using AI can do the work of 10': Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu warns of job risks
Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu said AI could let one skilled worker handle tasks once performed by a team.
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Artificial intelligence could allow a single skilled worker to handle tasks that once required a team, Zoho founder and chief scientist Sridhar Vembu has warned. He said the risk was growing for people whose jobs involve working on computers. His remarks have prompted debate about what the shift could mean for jobs, productivity and education.
What Vembu said about AI and jobs
In a post on X, Vembu said one person using AI could perform the work of 10 people in computer-based roles. However, he clarified that this did not mean 90 per cent of computer-based workers would be left without jobs.
He said lower costs could allow industries that previously could not afford software engineers or digital marketers to hire them. Vembu described the outcome as a “rebalancing across the economy”, adding that the transition could be painful. He urged workers to accept the change and prepare for it.
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Check out Vembu’s post on X below:
Internet reacts to AI's impact on work
Vembu's post led to a discussion about how AI could change workplaces, with users sharing their experiences and concerns about jobs, education and productivity.
One user pointed out how AI was changing workplace productivity, writing, "Once a person starts using AI well in their line of work, they tend to be busier, taking up more and doing more. On the other hand, people not using AI for productivity are still happily taking things slow. That's another workplace change to get used to, perhaps."
Another asked Vembu which skills would remain valuable as AI takes over routine tasks. "For those of us mid-career in computer work, which skills do you think hold their value as AI absorbs the routine parts? Domain depth? Judgement? Something else?" the user wrote.
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The commenter also questioned whether parents should continue encouraging their children to pursue university education or consider alternative career paths as AI becomes more widespread.
Another user raised concerns about the cost of AI adoption, writing, "I think the cost shared among developers as a salary will go to AI companies in the name of the licence and usage cost. Later, this cost will decrease, significantly reducing code and project costs."
Meanwhile, another commenter questioned whether companies would actually achieve the productivity benefits they expect from AI, writing, "If we look at the history of AI, not many companies are able to realise the benefits they originally proposed. So they lay off employees instead to compensate for the cost."
