Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has questioned the future of traditional medical education, arguing that the rapid rise of artificial intelligence could completely transform the way doctors are trained and healthcare is delivered.
In a lengthy post on X, Varma said parents and teachers should encourage young people to embrace AI instead of forcing them to follow an education system built around memorisation, examinations and degrees.
He titled his post, “Education Should Be Killed.”
Varma described the conventional education model as a simple formula: memorise, write examinations, pass, earn a degree and find a job. He argued that this system had become outdated and needed to be completely re-examined.
Referring to medical education, he said students spend nearly a decade completing MBBS, postgraduate studies and specialisation, while AI tools can already access and analyse vast amounts of medical information within seconds.
According to him, doctors traditionally conduct tests, study data, make a diagnosis and recommend treatment based on their accumulated knowledge. AI, he claimed, could perform many of these tasks faster and with greater precision, without suffering from fatigue or distraction.
Varma also referred to AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton’s warnings about the technology’s growing capabilities.
He questioned why students were still preparing for NEET and joining lengthy medical courses when diagnosis was becoming increasingly algorithm-driven and surgeries were making greater use of robotic systems.
“When diagnosis becomes algorithmic and surgery becomes robotic, the human doctor could slowly turn into a middleman,” he argued.
Varma said students who question why they must memorise information already available on their phones are often treated as rebels, instead of being recognised as people raising valid concerns.
He clarified that his remarks were not intended to insult parents or teachers, but said many of them were either unaware of the changes taking place or were refusing to accept them.
“The conventional education system is already in the mortuary. Why are we refusing to bury it?” he asked.
Varma concluded by saying young people should be guided towards AI as quickly as possible before an outdated education system damages their future.
His remarks drew mixed reactions online.
Some users accused him of exaggerating the role of robotic surgery and spreading misleading information. Others agreed that India’s education system had become too expensive and overly dependent on degrees.
A few users, however, argued that the conventional education system still offers an important path for students from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds.
Varma’s provocative comments have once again triggered debate over whether AI will replace traditional professions or simply change the way people study and work.
