AI doom fears overstated, global pause unrealistic: Zoho's Sridhar Vembu

Predictions that artificial intelligence could lead to catastrophic outcomes are overstated, and a global pause in AI development is unlikely, Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu said on Wednesday, while urging India to keep its strategic options open and invest heavily in foundational R&D across sectors.

Vembu said India should pursue an independent approach to AI, building on partnerships without becoming locked into the emerging technology rivalry between the United States and China.

"We must be friends with everybody, enemies with nobody and keep our options open," Vembu, Chief Scientist and Co-founder, Zoho, said in an interview with PTI.

Vembu argued that any big tech company genuinely wanting to slow AI development is free to do so on its own; nothing stops one player from pacing itself without demanding the whole industry follow, he pointed out.

Vembu was skeptical of calls by AI labs for an industry-wide pause, which, as per him, appeared to be less about safety and more a bid .