Warning for Coders in the Age of AI, Zoho's Sridhar Vembu Says Explore Other Options

Amidst the rapidly growing power of Artificial Intelligence, Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has given a significant warning to those in the coding profession. He says that AI is now becoming so capable that apps and websites can be created without learning to code. In such a situation, those who earn a living solely by writing code should consider new options for the future. Vembu said this not out of panic, but with calm consideration.

AI is Creating Code Itself, the Tech Industry is Changing

Sridhar Vembu said on the social media platform X that AI models have now become so advanced that they are even creating complex software tools. He gave the example that Anthropic's Claude model has created a complete C compiler. A C compiler is a tool that converts code written in human language into machine language. According to Vembu, this is an indication that the foundation of the technology industry is changing rapidly. In the future, the traditional method of coding may be quite different.

App Created Without Coding, Concerns Rise

Vembu was responding to a post by a user who claimed to have created a Bhagavad Gita app without knowing any programming language. This work was done with the help of AI tools. Vembu cited this example as a clear indication of change. He said that when it's possible to create apps even without technical knowledge, it's natural that the role of professional coders will be affected. Therefore, it would be wise to prepare for this now.

Questions raised about prompt coding

The former Zoho CEO also criticized the trend of prompt coding, that is, writing code solely through natural language prompts. According to him, this method seems easy on the surface, but it rapidly increases technical debt. He said that a system created in this way could be weak and unstable in the long run. Vembu believes that real software development is a deep and layered art that cannot be completely replaced by prompts alone.

AI is showing two paths for the future

Vembu also presented two possible scenarios for the future of AI. In his optimistic view, AI technology will become so commonplace that people will focus more on life, family, nature, art, and culture. In the negative scenario, this technology could become a means of centralized control, where a few large companies gain a stranglehold on everything. He said that the future will depend on who owns this technology and who benefits from it.