Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has reacted to the US government's decision to restrict access to Anthropic's advanced AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, urging Indian organizations to focus on open-source alternatives instead of relying on foreign companies.
Vembu's Reaction on Social Media
Sharing a post on X (formerly Twitter), Vembu said the move underscores how technology has become closely tied to national security and sovereignty. Referring to the restrictions, he questioned the need to depend on overseas AI providers, writing: "Anyway, why pay money to people who don't even want to sell to you?"
In the post, Vembu highlighted the changing nature of global technology competition and argued that India should deepen its own research and development efforts while encouraging the use of smaller open-source AI models developed in India and China. "Globalization is dead and Bharat must find her own way ahead," he wrote.
Key Points from Vembu's Post
Vembu noted that all access to Mythos and Fable AI models has been disabled for users outside America. He emphasized that technology is the ultimate weapon, and national sovereignty and security are now about technology. He called for Indian organizations to embrace smaller models, both Indian and Chinese open-source ones, stating that with effort, they can be made to work.
He also stressed the need to deepen R&D, acknowledging that training the latest models requires huge GPU budgets and that GPUs themselves are restricted. He expressed reluctance to ask the government to fund tens of billions of dollars on such efforts, saying the money has far better uses. Zoho has been pursuing alternative, less expensive R&D approaches, and Vembu expressed confidence that they will succeed with patience.
Vembu concluded by urging any remaining Indians with delusions about globalization to wake up.
