Technology Stories
Did Insta, YouTube deliberately build addictive tools to trap kids?
A ‘landmark’ US trial is testing whether social media platforms can be held responsible for design features that encourage prolonged use among teenagers. With Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri under oath, the case could reshape how courts judge platform responsibility for youth mental health harms
In charts: Who's using and gaining the most from the AI boom?
Adoption of artificial intelligence - either voluntarily or due to a mandate - differs on the basis of gender and profession. Here are six charts that show just how much impact it's having on lives presently
- Richa Gandhi
- TNN
AI knows how caste works in India. Here’s why that’s a worry
In tests, AI models assign high-status jobs to upper caste names and menial work to marginalised castes. The bias, experts have found, is embedded in how it teaches itself to see the world. The specific realities of India — which is hosting the AI Impact Summit this week — mean homegrown solutions are key
The 'Patil effect' at the centre of the 'SaaSpocalypse'
Rahul Patil is the earthy, cricket-loving, CTO of Anthropic and at the centre of the new Claude plugins that have hit tech company stocks globally
Can Bharat Taxi beat Uber and Ola and make both you and drivers happy?
The Bharat Taxi app, launched in Delhi-NCR and Gujarat, is promising higher earnings for drivers and no surge pricing for customers. But how different is it really? TOI+ carried out a test drive
‘Just because we are digitally connected, we need not always be available’
Supriya Sule explains why she believes it's time India needs a law that regulates how many calls and emails workers must deal with after work hours.
- Alka Dhupkar
- TNN
I make my students go offline for 4 weeks. Here's how it changes them
It shows adults need to set up rules for students so that it’s not on them to self-regulate when it comes to going tech-free.
- Colleen Kinder
- New York Times
Australia wants teens off social media. These Indian kids got there first
They don’t need lectures. Some teens are cutting back on screens by using muting tricks, app blockers and willpower.
- Mohua Das
- TNN
The issues with Australia's social media ban for under-16s (and an alternative)
The country became the first to impose a ban on teens under 16 accessing social media platforms. However, social media platforms have criticised the law and there are questions over how it will be implemented.
Rewrite This Appy Ending
Sanchar Saathi’s original idea, phone security, was ok. But mandatory pre-installation, even if users can delete it, is problematic. Why pick a fight with phone makers like Apple? What about future govt uses of the app? What about a legal framework?
Why thousands of layoffs across companies may not signal the start of AI apocalypse
While the technology may have played an indirect role in some of the downsizing, experts say the transition to an AI-powered workplace may not come with large-scale layoffs
- Noam Scheiber
- New York Times
Forget Chatbots, Lace Up For The Robot Race
The future of the factory floor is smart, built on AI and robots tailored to the specific needs of each environment. With its semiconductor and AI ecosystems rising apace, India has a real chance to take the lead
Why AI should make parents rethink posting their kids’ photos online
AI apps generating fake nudes, amid other privacy concerns, make ‘sharenting’ far riskier than it was just a few years ago. Here’s how you can keep your children safe
- Brian X Chen
- New York Times
Raanjhanaa to Ramayana, AI is quietly reshaping Indian cinema
From giving old hits new endings to reinventing epic sagas, generative AI is changing filmmaking in ways that are both inspired and unsettling.
Why carmakers are now trying to minimise your screen use while driving
The screen has gone from being tiny to occupying a central position on a vehicle’s dashboard. But carmakers are now slowly reversing a trend that began nearly a decade ago.
Soham Parekh: The Mumbai coder who outsmarted Silicon Valley — until he didn’t
The 26-year-old, who gave some 40 interviews and held multiple jobs at top startups, has taken moonlighting to a whole new level
- Sneha Bhura
- TNN
Why Donald Trump's dream of a US-made iPhone won't come true anytime soon
An estimated 80% of iPhones are still made in China and Apple has shifted its production to other countries like India. However, an iPhone made in the US is very unlikely in the near future.
- Tripp Mickle
- Bloomberg
Why Apple is struggling to retain its magic
Innovation was once considered a fundamental element in Apple's brand. But presently it fuelling angst among employees and frustration among customers who are being promised more than they are getting.
- Tripp Mickle
- New York Times
A new electric car promises to charge faster than your phone
China’s biggest electric vehicle maker says it has developed a charging system that can fully charge its cars at a speed comparable to the time taken at a fuel pump.
Why Meta wants you to be its new fact-checker and content moderator
It's the end of an era in content moderation and an embrace of looser guidelines. With Trump set to take control of the White House and regulatory bodies, Mark Zuckerberg has pivoted to repairing his relationship with the President-elect.
- Stuart A. ThompsonKate Conger
- New York Times