Every technological revolution comes with a hidden bill. The one for artificial intelligence isn't arriving as a subscription fee. It's showing up in the price of your next smartphone and laptop. The surprising culprit isn't the AI software itself, but the scramble for the memory chips that power it. Once you see the connection, it's difficult to look at the technology industry—or the next gadget launch—in quite the same way.
AI Didn't Invent Confession. It Reinvented the Confessor.
Every week, in First Principles, my column in the Hindustan Times, I explore the forces shaping the intersection of technology, business and public policy.
This week's essay begins with a deceptively simple question: Why are millions of people willing to tell an AI things they would never tell another human being?
The answer has less to do with artificial intelligence than with human psychology. We don't confess because a machine understands us. We confess because we believe it won't judge us. In doing so, AI may be reviving one of humanity's oldest rituals in an entirely new form.
When the Pen Slipped from My Hand →
Somewhere along the way, I stopped writing. Not the kind I do on screens, with taps and thumbs. I mean real writing—the kind that once required careful strokes, a quiet mind, and a fountain pen that demanded you show up fully. I was raised in a home where learning to write was a rite of passage. It marked entry into the world of meaning. Every letter held weight. But slowly, speed took over. Convenience won. And something human slipped away. This piece is my attempt to pause and remember what that loss feels like—not with bitterness, but with affection.
Intel Outside
Intel has been in the news. And so has Jensen Huang, the charismatic CEO of nVidia. I’ve tried to decode Intel’s slide from Top Dog to fighting for survival in Hindustan Times. Be assured, this story isn’t done with. There is much else that remains to be told. And that includes the long game Huang is at work on.
More on that another day. For now, would appreciate your comments on this narrative.
The Kiss
in Technology
Been tinkering around with ChatGPT. The Kiss by Gustav Klimt is one among my favourite works of art. Got DALL-E to reimagine how may the painting have emerged if Klimt were Indian.
This interpretation hit the sweet spot for me. Looks sufficiently passionate — at least that’s what I think. I wonder what may the art aficionados may have to say here. Would love to hear critiques
The Happiness Equation
Is it possible to measure happiness? My conversation with KL Mukesh suggested there is. And that’s what lies t the heard of this piece in Hindustan Times.
As always, feedback will be appreciated. One more thing: All rights to this column vest with HT Media