A former Google employee has ignited a debate on the use of artificial intelligence in corporate communication by publicly accusing Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal of using AI to write a viral social media post about gig workers.
The Allegation and the Viral Post
Deedy Das, an ex-Google employee and former Facebook technologist, suggested that Deepinder Goyal used artificial intelligence, likely ChatGPT, to compose his widely viewed post on X (formerly Twitter) on 2 January. The post, which addressed the sensitive issue of gig worker strikes in late December, garnered over 2.8 million views. It was Goyal's direct response to nationwide strikes where delivery unions disrupted New Year services demanding better pay and social security.
Das shared his critique along with a screenshot from an AI detection tool called Pangram, which labeled Goyal's post as "Fully AI-generated." "Major corporate CEOs like Zomato are now using ChatGPT to do crisis comms / PR (and it's working!)," Das wrote. He noted that this task was traditionally handled by senior marketing professionals, highlighting a shift in how humans communicate.
The Debate Over AI Detection Tools
The allegation sparked immediate pushback from many social media users who questioned the reliability of AI detectors. In the comments section, critics argued that such tools are often inaccurate and prone to mistakes.
In response to the criticism, Deedy Das clarified his stance. He acknowledged that the accuracy of AI detectors varies widely and that many perform poorly. However, he defended his use of Pangram, stating it was the only tool he knew that had been independently evaluated. He claimed it had false positive and false negative rates below 0.5%. Das also added that, based on his observation, Pangram had not made obvious errors like flagging historical documents such as the Constitution as AI-generated. He concluded by saying he remained open to being proven wrong with credible evidence.
Goyal's Denial and Public Reaction
When a user directly asked Deepinder Goyal on X if he had used AI to write the post, the Zomato CEO responded with a simple, one-word answer: "No."
Interestingly, a significant portion of social media users defended Goyal, arguing that even if AI was used, the intent and emotion of the message were what mattered. One user wrote, "There's a concept of using AI for polishing - after you've noted down your own thoughts. His post clearly has its heart in the right place." Another commented, "I am pretty sure he wrote a draft and then fed it to an AI for polishing and fine-tuning. It's too detailed and emotional for AI to come up with, basis a prompt."
What Was in Goyal's Viral Post?
In his emotionally charged post, Deepinder Goyal presented a nuanced perspective on the discomfort surrounding the gig economy. He argued that the issue is not solely about money or labour rights but also about visibility and guilt. Goyal explained that for centuries, the work of the poor remained invisible to the wealthy, allowing inequality to be ignored.
The gig economy, he stated, changed this by bringing delivery workers directly to people's doorsteps, making their exhaustion and struggles personal and visible. He suggested that much of the public debate stems from this emotional unease rather than pure concern for worker dignity. Goyal warned that over-regulating or banning gig work could push workers back into unsafe, informal jobs, merely allowing the wealthy to regain their comfort by hiding inequality again. He called for society to face this discomfort and work on improving conditions.
This report is based on user-generated content from social media platforms. The claims made by individuals have not been independently verified.
