Rethinking Tech

OpenAI has quietly declared Code Red — and it signals a major shift in priorities. In this x10 episode of Rethinking Tech , Aparna and Harinda break down why OpenAI is pulling back from experimentation and refocusing on its core mission: building better models . After years of testing products, partnerships, and business directions, the company is now signaling that model improvement comes first ....

China has taken an extraordinary step: publicly naming alleged Dutch intelligence operatives — a rare and deliberate escalation that pushes the ongoing Nexperia dispute into far more dangerous territory. In this x10 episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda break down why China chose to go public, how this move fits into the broader Nexperia drama, and what it signals about the deepening inte...

Is the world entering a new tech alliance designed to contain China’s semiconductor dominance? 🇺🇸🇹🇼🇯🇵🇳🇱 In this Rethinking Tech x10 episode, Aparna and Harinda break down the emerging Pax Silica Initiative — a strategic convergence of the United States, Taiwan, Japan, and the Netherlands that could reshape the global chip landscape. With semiconductors at the heart of national power and economic c...

Australia just made a historic move: banning social media for anyone under 16 — and it could trigger a global chain reaction. 📵 This isn’t just about teens and TikTok. It’s about governments challenging Big Tech , societies redefining childhood, and a fundamental question: Who should control the digital lives of young people — parents, platforms, or the state? In this episode of Rethinking Tech ,...

On this episode of  Rethinking Tech , Aparna speaks with digital sovereignty expert  Damien Kopp  about the growing importance of technopolitics - the intersection of technology, geopolitics, and national power. Damien outlines why business and technology leaders must rethink traditional business continuity planning to account for new vulnerabilities driven by global tensions, data-residency laws,...

AI is rewriting the advertising industry — and the next trillion-dollar frontier may belong to OpenAI. 📲 In this episode of Rethinking Tech , hosts Aparna and Harinda unpack how the ad industry really works, why tech companies became ad companies, and what it means when LLMs and generative AI start selling influence at scale . From hyper-personalized ads to political micro-targeting, from data ex...

U.S. Big Tech is reshaping Europe — from culture and language to regulation, geopolitics, and digital identity. In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda break down how American platforms, AI systems, and tech power are influencing the European Union’s values, sovereignty, and future. We explore:Why U.S. tech companies dominate European digital infrastructureHow American social media...

Is the world entering a new era of data colonization — and what does it mean for power, privacy, and global inequality?  In this episode of  Rethinking Tech , hosts Aparna and Harinda break down how data has become the most valuable resource on the planet — and how governments, corporations, and tech giants are racing to claim it. From invisible extraction and algorithmic control to geopolitical p...

Your car isn’t just a machine anymore — it’s become a computer on wheels, quietly collecting your data (and sharing it), every time you drive. In this episode of  Rethinking Tech , Aparna and Harinda explore how the auto industry has slowly converged with the tech industry. From Tesla’s massive codebase to China’s EV dominance and the hidden data streams inside your dashboard, they unpack the poli...

As AI chatbots, companions, and tutors become part of daily life, today’s youth are growing up in a world shaped by algorithms. In this episode of  Rethinking Tech , hosts Aparna and Harinda unpack the profound impact of AI on mental health, education, and identity — and ask: Are we protecting our youth, or outsourcing their development to machines? From AI companions and teen loneliness, to educa...

In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Amnesty International’s Pat De Brún joins Harinda to unpack how Big Tech has become one of the most powerful—and dangerous—forces shaping our world. From Elon Musk’s influence on political extremism to the EU’s retreat on digital regulation, and from AI’s false climate promises to governments’ growing dependence on U.S. tech giants, this conversation reveals the...

How can young innovators reshape the future of education from AI-powered classrooms to inclusive learning for all? In this  Rethinking Tech  x  UNICEF Youth Fellowship  special, Aparna sits down with four inspiring fellows whose projects are transforming education across the globe. Each of them is rethinking how technology, access, and inclusion can redefine opportunity in their communities — and...

Can the world’s two biggest superpowers share the future of artificial intelligence — or are we headed for a full-blown Tech Cold War ? 🌍💥 In this episode of Rethinking Tech , hosts Aparna and Harinda unpack the fierce U.S.–China rivalry that’s reshaping the global tech landscape. From AI innovation and semiconductor sanctions to TikTok bans and quantum supremacy , this is more than a race for t...

Is Bitcoin just digital money — or the blueprint for a new civilization? In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna sits down with writer and entrepreneur Aleks Svetski to unpack Bitcoin’s deeper meaning — beyond price charts and speculation. From personal freedom to global power structures, they explore how Bitcoin could redefine the moral, political, and economic fabric of the world. 🎧 This epi...

Can democracy survive the digital age — or is it already being rewritten by algorithms and Big Tech? 💻 In this episode of Rethinking Tech, hosts Aparna and Harinda dive deep into how technology, social media, and data are transforming — and threatening — the foundations of modern democracy. From election interference to algorithmic manipulation, they explore whether our political systems can keep...

Why did Donald Trump put a $100K price tag on immigration and what’s really at stake? In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda unpack Trump’s controversial visa proposal, the political strategy behind it, and the ripple effects on immigration, technology, and the global economy. In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda explore: - 🇺🇸 Trump’s $100K visa plan — reform or p...

What if the next generation of artificial intelligence wasn’t built on silicon chips — but on living neurons ? In this episode of Rethinking Tech , Harinda sits down with Fred Jordan, CEO of FinalSpark , to explore how his team is creating the world’s first biocomputers — AI systems powered by biological neurons that promise to be 1,000x more energy efficient than today’s GPUs. This is more than j...

Trump just made a massive move on TikTok — but who really wins? In this episode of Rethinking Tech , Aparna and Harinda break down the $80B deal, China’s strategy, and what it means for U.S. national security, social media, and global tech power. In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda explore: - 🇺🇸 Trump’s TikTok deal and the implications for U.S. national security. - 🇨🇳 China’s ro...

Nepal just blacked out WhatsApp, TikTok, and more—sparking deadly protests, toppling a prime minister, and dragging India and China into chaos. One government order set off a chain reaction the world can’t ignore. In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda unpack the fallout: why a single shutdown can ignite nationwide unrest, how algorithms reward outrage, and what happens when govern...

Google just walked out of the biggest antitrust trial of our time with Chrome intact, its $20B Apple deal untouched, and Big Tech’s grip stronger than ever. The court blinked — but what does that mean for the rest of us? In this episode of Rethinking Tech , Aparna and Harinda unpack the fallout: why defaults matter more than free choice, how AI quietly shaped the judge’s reasoning, and what happen...

When the U.S. government takes a 10% stake in Intel , it’s not just about semiconductors — it’s about rewriting the rules of capitalism. What happens when Washington stops being just the regulator and starts acting like a shareholder? In this episode of Rethinking Tech , Aparna and Harinda explore how America’s bold new move reshapes the chip industry, global supply chains, and even geopolitics. F...

From Apple Watch to Oura to WHOOP, wearable devices are transforming how we track our health — but what do they really mean for our future? In this episode of Rethinking Tech , Aparna sits down with Ali Amin , a leading voice in health technology, to explore the promises and perils of the digital health revolution. We unpack how socioeconomic factors shape access to health tech, why data quality a...

What happens when AI starts raising our kids, shaping our jobs, and even becoming our companions? In this episode of Rethinking Tech , Aparna Bhushan and Harinda Katugaha unpack the ethical dilemmas at the heart of artificial intelligence. From the classroom to the workplace to the therapist’s couch, AI isn’t just a tool — it’s becoming part of our most human relationships. 🔥 What you’ll discover...

Is AI the next industrial revolution—or just the biggest bubble in tech history? In this episode of Rethinking Tech , hosts Aparna Bhushan and Harinda Katugaha break down the frenzy around artificial intelligence and why governments, billionaires, and entire nations are betting their futures on it. We take you on a journey through the promises and perils of AI: How AI is reshaping society while fu...

Half the world’s population is under 30—yet young people are often left out of the conversations shaping their future. In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna sits down with Eugenia Olliaro, a global leader in responsible technology for children and youth engagement. From her work at UNICEF’s Responsible Data for Children initiative to advising international organizations, Eugenia shares why me...