Zoho Founder Sridhar Vembu Raises Concern Over Growing Dependence On AI For Coding

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has sparked a discussion about the growing role of artificial intelligence in software development. He shared his views on how engineers should use AI while keeping their own understanding and technical judgment. The discussion began after an X post claimed that many technology teams are increasingly using AI tools for almost every stage of software development.

The post said AI is being used to write code, create product requirements, test products and resolve tickets. The post also mentioned that developers are being pushed to release products faster, often depending heavily on AI-generated work.

Responding to the post, Vembu said AI can be a powerful tool for improving productivity. However, he warned engineers against allowing AI to replace their understanding of the systems they build.

Check Out The Post Here:

"Nobody knows anything here. The specs, code, tests, PRDs, tickets, resolution of those tickets, reports, etc., everything is made by Claude Code. Nobody on my team likes this. They are being forced to ship as much as they can."

This is sad. I tell our engineers to use AI but… https://t.co/8zSLzPRGFP

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) September 21, 2026

Vembu said that he tells Zoho engineers to use AI but never give up their understanding to it. He compared the situation to driving a fancy new car that people barely understand how to operate and warned that moving too fast could invite disaster.

Vembu stressed that AI can help developers write code more efficiently, but engineers should remain deeply involved in understanding the systems they create.

Social Media Reaction

Social media users gave mixed reactions to the post.

One user commented, "This issue is not limited to coding. I see consulting and support teams use Claude / Chatgpt to generate presentations and materials which get shipped to customers."

Another user noted, "The problem isn't Claude writing the code. The problem is humans shipping code they no longer understand."

"I felt this when talking to some folks building a product with Claude/Codex," added a third user.