AI can impact self-worth, challenge skills. It cannot replace empathy, care, human values: Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu

In today's world, people tend to judge success by how much work you get done, your job title and your accomplishments. As a result, many have quietly started to connect who they are with what they do or what they have achieved. Attaining recognition, earning a lucrative salary and being an expert have now become important measures of a person's worth. This has, however, begun to affect how people perceive themselves and how they are perceived. As the world around us changes dynamically, these different ideas about what is valuable and fulfilling keep shaping how we interact and where we are going.

Now, Sridhar Vembu, the founder of Zoho, an Indian multinational technology company, has introduced artificial intelligence to the pressing issue in his recent X-post. The 79-year-old has sparked a widespread discussion on the link between AI and human purpose, sharing his thoughts on how smart technology, despite reshaping the sense of self-worth among people, can never replace meaningful human activities.

Sridhar Vembu on AI and purpose-driven human roles

Reflecting on the growing powers of AI and its impact on society, the Zoho CEO revealed that the moment individuals start measuring their value by intellectual superiority and economic contribution, AI could easily disrupt that sense of identity. But on the contrary, Sridhar Vembu argued that soulful engagements, driven neither by money nor status, can withstand technological disruption and remain untouched by automation.



Some of the examples he cited include caring for the elderly, being affectionate towards children, teaching, farming after quitting well-paid jobs, serving as forest rangers, out of one’s sheer love for nature and priests conducting everyday rituals even when there are no devotees at the temple. Sridhar Vembu also mentioned classical musicians who continue to practise and perform despite small audiences.

AI can’t replace work rooted in human emotion

What Sridhar Vembu actually meant to say was that such selfless activities usually stem from dedication and inner conviction rather than paycheques or prestige. Since these emotions are anchored by authenticity, responsibility and lived experiences, he believes that they stand beyond the reach of even the most advanced digital systems.

Sridhar Vembu’s observations are all the more relevant today as there have been global conversations about how AI is reshaping careers, creativity and personal identity. Some critics have warned about shrinking opportunities, while others have argued that innovation can encourage people to think about what genuinely defines fulfillment and purpose.