Sridhar Vembu Questions ‘Big Medicine’ and AI in Healthcare
Sridhar Vembu Image credit X.com
Zoho founder argues that medicine is too complex for statistical models or AI, warning that the industry’s obsession with data risks sidelining doctors’ intuition and compassion.
By S JHA
Mumbai, October 28, 2025 — Zoho Corporation founder and CEO Sridhar Vembu has sparked debate on X with a wide-ranging post questioning the growing reliance on artificial intelligence and statistical models in modern medicine.
Vembu argued that AI can never replace human clinical judgment, emphasizing that medicine is “vastly more complex” than most models account for. Using a simple mathematical analogy, he wrote:
“If there are only 100 biomarkers, each with two possible values, that gives us 2¹⁰⁰ or about 10³⁰ possible combinations—far more than the number of humans who have ever lived.”
He said this “practical infinity” of biological variation makes it impossible for algorithms to predict outcomes with certainty, underscoring why human doctors’ intuition remains irreplaceable.
“That judgment is what enables a doctor to tell us ‘this is not a serious issue, get good sleep’ versus ‘this definitely needs deeper investigation,’” Vembu noted, adding: “Great doctors often can’t even explain how they arrive at these conclusions, but that’s their gift.”
The Zoho founder went on to criticize the medical establishment, saying that “Big Medicine” seeks to dismantle clinical judgment by turning doctors into “protocol pushers.” He praised compassionate and holistic care, citing his own experience with a Chennai dermatologist who linked recovery from eczema to stress reduction rather than medication alone.
Vembu tied his remarks to broader debates on autism and vaccine mandates, suggesting that “each child is truly unique” and that broad, one-size-fits-all approaches are flawed.
“We cannot have sweeping mandates,” he said, adding: “Each doctor has to exercise their judgment with their patient—and listen to their concerns first.”
The entrepreneur framed the issue as a “philosophy of medicine” rather than a narrow policy dispute, arguing that healthcare should balance science with empathy, precision with intuition.
Vembu’s comments have since drawn mixed reactions online—some praising his humanistic stance on healthcare, others criticizing the invocation of controversial vaccine debates in the discussion on AI and medical ethics.
Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn
About The Author
