As artificial intelligence reshapes global industries, many fear an AI-driven future where human jobs are rendered obsolete. But Zoho Corporation’s founder and CEO, Sridhar Vembu, believes the threat goes far deeper than just job loss.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Vembu challenged the common narrative that AI will simply “replace” human workers. Instead, he warned of a more insidious risk: the erosion of the economic foundation of the middle class.
🧠 Not Just About Jobs, But Value
“On the subject of AI and jobs,” Vembu wrote, “hypothetically, if all software development were to be automated — I want to emphasise that we are nowhere close to that goal — and all software engineers such as myself are out of work, it is not like human beings will have nothing to do.”
But here's the catch: people may still find things to do, yet struggle to generate income from those activities. According to Vembu, the real danger is not widespread unemployment — it's economic displacement. If AI systems perform high-value work at scale and near-zero marginal cost, human labor becomes economically uncompetitive in many industries.
💥 A Threat to the Middle Class
This shift could hollow out the middle class, even if new tasks or roles remain available. As automation drives down the cost of producing goods and services, the value of human skill could be severely undercut, especially in white-collar professions like software engineering, legal writing, or content generation.
Vembu's concern echoes a growing debate: Will AI primarily benefit capital owners and corporations, while workers — even highly skilled ones — see their earnings stagnate or vanish?
📉 Beyond Employment: The Wealth Gap Question
If AI systems are owned and operated by a small number of firms or individuals, wealth will concentrate further, widening the economic gap. This could bankrupt the very foundation of modern economies — the consumer-driven middle class.
Vembu’s warning is not just philosophical. It signals a need for deeper thought around who controls AI infrastructure, how profits are shared, and whether new models of ownership — such as decentralized platforms or worker-owned AI — might offer a path forward.
🌍 A Call for Thoughtful Innovation
As a tech entrepreneur who has built Zoho into a global SaaS powerhouse without VC funding, Sridhar Vembu often offers unconventional but deeply insightful takes on technology. His message is clear: AI's future isn't just about what it can do — it's about who it leaves behind.
🔍 “The future of work” must include not just jobs, but dignity, value, and ownership for people at every level of society.
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