AI Sitcom

By B S Ranganath S tanding in the middle of Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi during the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, I felt the buzz of ideas and possibility everywhere. Over six days from February 16 to 21, tech leaders, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, and even curious students packed the halls, eager to talk about artificial intelligence. And not just as some distant, futuristic idea, but as something that’s already changing the way we live and work right now. The summit focused on three key principles, or “Sutras”: People, Planet, and Progress. These themes popped up in panel discussions, workshops, and the sometimes light-hearted, sometimes passionate debates over samosas and chai in the cafeteria. I heard several people joke that getting consensus on "safe AI standards" was only slightly harder than agreeing on the best chutney recipe. People: The conversation centered on how AI can give a boost to human potential. There were sessions about using AI for education, job creation...

  By B S Ranganath B ehind every big picture, whether it's a hit sitcom or that viral internet show everybody's quoting, there’s a surprising new trend quietly changing the game: AI and virtual actors. I’ve been following these switch ups up close, and it’s wild how the process of creating TV and web series is being transformed, piece by piece, pixel by pixel. Not so long ago, when I heard “synthetic celebrity,” I thought it was just a one-off novelty. Now, virtual personalities like Particle6’s Tilly Norwood are landing regular roles in scripted shows. These digital stars aren’t just popping up on social media; they’re actually acting alongside humans on set. More Than Just Filters: These AI actors look, sound, and even "emote" like real people. Imagine tuning into your favorite sitcom and the snarky neighbor is animated mostly by code, not an actor. Storyline Fun: In the AI sitcom universe, picture an episode where a digital character realizes she’s just lines of c...

By  Fleeky H ere’s the week in AI, Wonderland-style: less hype, more “wait… that matters.” AI’s appetite meets the power grid AI’s growth is putting pressure on power grids while simultaneously driving innovation: new data centers are being designed around energy efficiency and heat reuse. Strikingly, infrastructure and energy policy are suddenly as critical as the models themselves. The real bottleneck isn’t smarter models. It’s electricity. Data centers are now competing with cities for power, and suddenly AI strategy sounds a lot like energy policy. The twist: the future of intelligence may depend on who can keep the lights on. Assistants are learning to act, not just answer The shift to “agentic AI” is picking up pace. Systems aren’t just responding ... they’re planning, executing, and looping through tasks. It’s subtle, but important: we’re moving from tools you use to systems that do things on your behalf. Surprisingly, companies are now experimenting with AI that manages ent...

Perplexity founders Johnny Ho, Aravind Srinivas, and Denis Yarats By B S Ranganath P erplexity recently moved away from an advertising model, choosing to keep its AI assistant ad-free as of February 2026. When I use Perplexity, I never see sponsored results, banners, or popups. This decision shapes my daily experience on the platform and how Perplexity positions itself in a crowded field of AI search tools and assistants. I’ll break down why Perplexity abandoned ads, how this affects users, and what the company is doing instead to support its business. If you want a closer look at how this choice could affect the quality, privacy, and transparency of your searches, this guide covers all the main points you need to know. Perplexity’s leadership made the call to cut out ads after some in-depth reflection and listening to user feedback. The main reason comes down to trust. In my own use of AI search tools, I notice that ads, even when clearly marked, can make it harder to know which infor...