Risk is real, be prepared: Sridhar Vembu says one person using AI can now do work of 10 people

AI is changing the way we work. Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has been one of the biggest voices in predicting what a future job market might look like, particularly for software roles. Now, Vembu has warned that AI has created a risk that a single person could eventually do the work of 10 people.“Any job performed on the computer has this risk now: one smart person using AI can perform the work of 10 people,” Sridhar Vembu wrote on X. “The risk is getting ever more real.”New industries may afford to hire more staffBut the Zoho chief did not want to raise alarm bells at a time when many companies were already laying off workers. Instead of the 9 people losing their jobs, Sridhar Vembu claims, they may find work in new industries.“This does not mean 90% of people working on a computer will have no work at all,” Vembu explained. “Industries that previously could not afford to hire software engineers or digitial marketers could afford them now, for example.” Sridhar Vembu wrote on X. According to Sridhar Vembu, the impact of AI will be much broader, in what he described as a “rebalancing across the economy.” But such a transition would not be easy, and Vembu wants you to brace yourself. “(It will be) painful when we go through it,” the Zoho chief added. “The only thing we can do is to accept that it is coming and be prepared for it.”Previously, Sridhar Vembu predicted that in the near future we may see a “10x or 100x productivity leap” thanks to AI. His remarks also come as he leads an internal “overhaul” at Zoho amid advances in AI and automation. Vembu has mentioned that rising server memory and AI costs had made business difficult for Zoho.The homegrown company had cancelled appraisals for the year and reduced its marketing budget because of rising costs. “We have also told our employees that we cannot have our usual pay increase this year,” Sridhar Vembu said earlier. Though Vembu insists that Zoho is trying to avoid mass layoffs.But Vembu is not alone who believes the future may see a change in job roles. Amazon, which recently cut 250 jobs, has laid out a new rulebook for software engineers for the age of AI. Others, including gaming studios like Epic Games, are also encouraging AI use for employees.- Ends