Rethinking Tech

Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariffs isn’t just about trade percentages—it’s about power, leverage, and reshaping global alliances. In this episode of Rethinking Tech , Aparna and Harinda unpack the chaotic ripple effects across Canada , the EU , India , and China , revealing the geopolitical strategy behind the numbers. From rare earth minerals and semiconductor supply chains to the surprising r...

In this episode of Rethinking Tech, host Aparna sits down with Bo Viktor Nylund , a seasoned humanitarian leader and author of When Everything Falls Apart: Exploring Liminality at UNICEF. As global systems crack under pressure, from war and economic uncertainty to crumbling institutions, Aparna and Bo Viktor explore the concept of liminality: the unsettling in-between state when the old has collap...

LINK TO SURVEY: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelTv6HGPyVXNXmc2ETSWuRdsMIH63VE01GhWlH0_HW9NpBUA/viewform?usp=header In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda dive into a powerful and timely conversation about the shifting meaning of the American Dream. Once seen as the land of opportunity, the United States now finds itself at a crossroads socially, politically, and economi...

LINK TO SURVEY: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelTv6HGPyVXNXmc2ETSWuRdsMIH63VE01GhWlH0_HW9NpBUA/viewform?usp=header In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda take you deep into the hidden world of travel technology and how it’s quietly reshaping your choices, your experiences, and even your privacy. From AI-powered airline pricing and biometric surveillance at borders, to C...

Check out Safir on Linkedin ! https://www.linkedin.com/in/safirjamal/ Also visit: https://globalnomadpass.com/ In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Harinda sits down with Safir Jamal, founder of Global Nomad Pass and an internationalist who’s traveled to 80+ countries, to unpack the complex, often hidden forces shaping the travel and tourism industry. From Airbnb to Booking.com, travel seems person...

Are browsers the internet’s last battleground  or  its next revolution? In this episode, Aparna and Harinda unpack the  browser wars of 2025  and explore why browsers—once sleepy defaults—are now central to everything from global surveillance to antitrust crackdowns to AI’s future user interface. Listen for : Why Google’s cookie phase-out changes the internet’s business model The geopolitics of da...

What if we invested in peace the same way we invest in war? In this episode of Rethinking Tech , Aparna speaks with Stefaan Verhulst, co-founder of the GovLab in New York and The Data Tank in Brussels, about the overlooked and underfunded world of PeaceTech . We explore : What is PeaceTech really? Why it’s drastically underfunded How AI, data, and policy can support peace Cultural biases that make...

Is the Nobel Peace Prize still a beacon of global hope—or a geopolitical chess piece? In this episode, Aparna and Harinda trace the prize’s 120-year history, expose the politics behind “anticipatory awards,” and ask whether AI-era diplomacy demands a new definition of peace. Listen for: The origin story—why Alfred Nobel chose Norway and a five-member committee Controversial laureates: Obama, Abiy,...

Can a U.S.-brokered cease-fire really end Africa’s longest resource war—or is it the latest chapter of modern colonialism? In this briefing, Aparna and Harinda dissect the White-House-sponsored peace accord between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo , revealing how cobalt, coltan, and Big-Tech supply chains sit at the center of the deal. Key takeaways The history behind Rwanda-DRC proxy w...

How is NATO redefining security in an era of AI drones, cyber-wars, and surging defense budgets? In this briefing, Aparna and Harinda decode the latest NATO summit—unpacking the alliance’s pivot toward high-tech warfare, Washington’s outsized influence, and the ethical price tag of a new military spending boom. 🔑 Takeaways : Why defense tech investment is the alliance’s fastest-growing line item...

The Israel–Iran confrontation has shifted from covert operations to open brinkmanship, dragging big-tech platforms, energy markets, and nuclear red lines into the same fight. In this episode Aparna and Harinda unpack the war’s geopolitical chessboard, explain the historical triggers, and map how Silicon Valley, surveillance AI, and information control now shape every battlefield decision . 🔍 What...

In a time of mass mobilization across the United States, Aparna and Harinda unpack the new shape of protest — one shaped as much by technology and surveillance as it is by ideology and courage. From ICE raids and facial recognition to silent data monetization and the ethics of state power, this episode asks whether democracy is compatible with the tools now used to manage dissent. 🔍 Key themes ex...

In this sharp and surprising episode, Aparna and Harinda evaluate Elon Musk’s first 130 days in the White House — but not through the usual partisan lens. Instead, they ask: If government were a university, how would Musk perform as a student of power? Using a semester-style report card, they grade him across economics, political science, business, computer science and ethics — while exploring whe...

In this episode, Aparna and Harinda take on the crisis in Ivy League education — from the growing politicization of elite universities like Harvard to the broader questions of how technology and geopolitics are rewriting the future of learning. Is the Ivy League model broken, or is it evolving to meet a new era? 👉 What we cover: The attacks on Harvard and other top schools: Are they political str...

Welcome to Rethinking Tech's first guest interview! We’re kicking off with a powerful conversation featuring Ruth Cabal , former CNN anchor and journalist. Together, we explore how technology, AI, and social media are reshaping elections, politics, and the very foundation of truth in the digital era. 👉 What we cover: Ruth’s journey as a journalist in an age of deepfakes and algorithmic manipu...

In this episode, Aparna and Harinda unpack how artificial intelligence (AI), social media, and technology are radically changing childhood. From identity and mental health to family, education, friendships, and future job prospects, they explore how the digital age is reshaping what it means to grow up. Key topics include: The impact of AI and social media on children’s identity and self-image Gro...

In this high-stakes episode, Aparna and Harinda unpack Donald Trump's whirlwind tour through Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE — a trip that fused geopolitics, tech, and ethics in a way few presidential visits ever have. With over $3.6 trillion in deals touching everything from AI chips to drone sales, and a guest list that included Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Jensen Huang and other top tech CEOs, t...

In this episode of Rethinking Tech , Aparna and Harinda dig into the paradox of nonprofits in the tech industry, with a special focus on OpenAI. Is it possible to build AI “for the benefit of humanity” while operating within a structure that allows for profit? And what does that mean for public trust, ethics, and the future of tech? We explore everything from OpenAI’s unusual capped-profit structu...

Can we still trust competition to fix the market? Or are the referees in this game no longer neutral? In this episode, Aparna and Harinda break down how the antitrust debate has outgrown its legal framework. The original standard—“consumer harm”—no longer holds up in an era where platforms shape geopolitics, markets, and democratic systems without raising prices. We explore: Why antitrust theory h...

In this episode of  Rethinking Tech , Aparna and Harinda explore the deep and surprising intersections between religion and technology. From the invention of the printing press that democratized scripture to today's AI systems subtly reshaping belief and identity, the lines between faith, society, and tech have never been more blurred. Is technology becoming the new religion? Has screen time repla...

This week on Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda dive into the wild and controversial debate ignited by Jack Dorsey’s call to abolish IP laws — with Elon Musk quickly chiming in his support. We explore the messy world of AI, copyright, and what happens when original creations are up for grabs: How DeepSeek, OpenAI, and others are tangled in allegations of scraping protected data Studio Ghibli’s st...

📉 From trade wars to AI-fueled protectionism, tariffs are no longer just about economics—they're about values, power, and the digital age. In this episode, Aparna and Harinda dig into the growing complexity of tariffs, their impact on both goods and services, and how they're reshaping globalization. We ask: Is this really about protecting jobs—or rewriting the world order? Who wins and who loses...

In this episode, we unpack one of the boldest tech maneuvers of the year: Elon Musk’s xAI acquiring X. What does this mean for the future of freedom of speech, the fate of 600 million users’ data, and the growing centralization of AI power? We explore the implications for geopolitics, user privacy, national security, and the increasingly blurred lines between business strategy and ideological warf...

In this episode of Rethinking Tech , Aparna and Harinda unpack one of the most heated debates in AI right now: who owns the data that’s training the world's most powerful models? From copyrighted novels and news articles to images, music, and even our social media posts — what’s fair game in the age of AI? As tech giants race ahead, artists, authors, and governments are asking hard questions about...

In this episode, get to know your hosts: Aparna Bhushan and Harinda Katugaha . From tech startups to policy rooms, from AI ethics to systems design — we introduce who we are, what brought us together, and why we created Rethinking Tech . This isn’t just a podcast about what’s happening in tech — it’s about why it matters and where it might lead. 💬 Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Rethinking Te...