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Apr 22, 2024 | 
economictimes.indiatimes.com | Kanika Saxena
How to cash outRemember Suhas from 3 Idiots? The price-obsessed engineer-turned-investment banker bought a luxury watch for his fiancee for Rs 4 lakh, in 2009. We don’t know the brand, but given that it was a limited edition model, this watch would be worth Rs 16-17 lakh now.According to a Knight Frank study, luxury watches have delivered compounded annual returns of 9% in the past 10 years, outperforming other passion investments such as vintage cars, art and diamonds.
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Mar 20, 2024 | 
economictimes.indiatimes.com | Kanika Saxena
The Indian government’s attempt to regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI) apparently hit a snag earlier this month with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) revoking the requirement of government approval before AI models under development are deployed for users on the Internet. In a late-night advisory on March 1, the ministry had mandated that all AI models, software using generative AI, and large language models
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Mar 19, 2024 | 
economictimes.indiatimes.com | Kanika Saxena
Expected voters — close to 960 millionAt stake — 543 Lok Sabha seatsThe theatre — the largest elections in the world.Indian elections have traversed the technological distance from polling booths, ballot papers to now electronic voting machines (EVMs). However, the way to reach out to voters has not changed much — it’s the same megaphones and rallies. While those will still be a great medium for popular leaders, the last two general elections
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Mar 7, 2024 | 
economictimes.indiatimes.com | Kanika Saxena
Google’s stars do not seem to be aligned with Gemini, literally. In astrology, Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac, but for Google it’s a first mega step to make its presence felt in the still-evolving world of artificial intelligence (AI). As things turned out, Google is now grappling with critical flaws in Gemini, its flagship LLM (large language model). Following a series of embarrassing incidents – from racist image generation to
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Mar 6, 2024 | 
economictimes.indiatimes.com | Kanika Saxena
A couple of days back, news filtered in that the Houthis, a Yemeni militia, had allegedly cut undersea internet cables, amid continuing tensions in the region. Though the group denied it, the episode has highlighted the need to protect a new front in times of conflict : the so-called Wet Net - the vast network of submarine fibre optic cables, each around 1.2 inches in thickness- that forms the bedrock of modern digital life. As many as 14 cables
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Feb 27, 2024 | 
economictimes.indiatimes.com | Kanika Saxena
With the Election Commission of India expected to announce the schedule for Lok Sabha elections shortly, all eyes are on Meta (formerly Facebook) and its electoral preparedness. Recently, the company showcased its commitment towards combating AI-based disinformation ahead of the European Parliament elections by establishing a dedicated team. While Meta is expected to announce election-specific measures for India soon, sources in the know suggest
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Feb 26, 2024 | 
economictimes.indiatimes.com | Kanika Saxena
Is Modi a fascist? In yet another episode of whether Google can please the Indian government, the tech giant’s large language model (LLM), Gemini (formerly Bard), has landed in a hot soup after generating problematic and allegedly ‘biased’ responses in relation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Last Friday, a Twitter user shared screenshots of the response tested against world leaders such as Xi Jinping, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump among
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Feb 14, 2024 | 
economictimes.indiatimes.com | Kanika Saxena
For 2700 years, the once-clear boundary between imagination and science has steadily blurred. From the mythical bronze robot Talos, hammered to life by Hephaestus, the Greek God of fire and craftsmanship, to Leonardo da Vinci's mechanical marvels, the dream of artificial intelligence has haunted our imaginations for centuries. But while the West tinkers with self-driving cars and chess-playing algorithms, China is taking a bolder leap: building
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Feb 7, 2024 | 
economictimes.indiatimes.com | Kanika Saxena
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has found himself at the centre of a firestorm after his recent crusade against Harvard University culminated in the resignation of its president, igniting a debate that transcends the walls of academia. The founder and CEO of New York-based Pershing Square Capital Management is known for his massive wagers. In what’s considered as one of the best trades in the history of hedge funds, he took a short position
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Feb 6, 2024 | 
economictimes.indiatimes.com | Swathi Moorthy |Kanika Saxena
Even a cup of chai costs more these days. Manipulated content is no longer the preserve of high-end studios that can afford sophisticated editing software. For as low as INR8, you can get a deepfake video created today. And from businesses to political parties, everyone wants to tap the AI-based technology that powers synthetic media to further their ambitions. Meet Divyendra Singh Jadoun, founder of The Indian Deepfaker, a website offering
