In the age of AI, do you prefer handwritten notes? Or, do you like to pick up a pen and paper and do the old-school writing? Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu doesn’t think so and in expressing his thoughts on the internet, has incited a firestorm from netizens. Vembu, who is quite vocal on AI and all other latest technological breakthroughs like generative AI and Agentic AI, has now commented on the art of handwriting and how it is obsolete in an age where computers are all over.
What began as a personal take on his struggle to read a handwritten note has ignited a passionate online conversation, pitting traditionalists against futurists who are always ready to embrace new technology.
Zoho CEO shares his opinion on handwriting
Vembu, who has a net worth of over Rs 50,000 crore, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his recent experience with an illegible handwritten note, admitting he also finds it difficult to write neatly himself. His fear that the pen-and-paper era is fading away resonated deeply with many.
“I received a hand written note today, written in English – except that it was so illegible I had no idea what it said and I had to ask my friend to explain. I too find it hard to write – the “pen on paper” form of write – while trying to be legible. I guess hand writing is going to be a lost art,” wrote Vembu.
Netizens came up with polarising opinions
The online reactions, however, were sharply divided. A group of people agreed with Vembu, sharing their dependency on keyboards and touchscreens. They pointed to the convenience of digital tools and even speculated that keyboards themselves might one day be replaced by brain-computer interfaces (like those developed by Elon Musk’s Neuralink) or advanced speech-to-text technology. The shift from pen to screen is simply a natural evolution of communication by many.
On the other side, people defended the lost art of writing and how it continues to be a great way to communicate. These users argued that it’s a fundamental part of learning, memory, and even an art form. Some shared personal stories of how they still jot down notes to process information better, while others insisted they couldn’t learn without the physical act of writing. They said that while the tools may change, the practice of writing will endure.
