Technology is inherently neutral but depending on how it is used it can be either good or bad. This applies to gene editing, drones and even to identity.

In the “attention economy,” businesses compete for user attention through persuasive technologies, leading to a potential technological addiction. There is a need for ethical boundaries in app design that will call for major tech companies agreeing to rewrite rules to discourage addictive persuasion, and aim for a more sustainable approach.

In the 19th century, London faced the Great Manure Crisis, a seemingly insurmountable urban catastrophe. The advent of automobiles resolved the issue within a decade. Might we dare to imaging that the global pollution crisis, might have a similar, as yet unknown technological solutions?

There are ethical and legal complexities with treating terminally ill patients in India. There is a thin and grey line between palliative care and assisted suicide. We need clear legislation regarding living wills and the right to die with dignity.

There are parallels to be drawn between Martin Luther’s use of printing technology and modern communication technologies. Technology has historically accelerated the dissemination of ideas and we need to adapt that understanding to new mediums like the internet.

The Indian government’s recent mandate to link Aadhaar numbers with tax returns and mobile numbers highlights the urgent need for a privacy law. Current proposals suggest a law based on OECD principles, emphasizing consent. However, given the complexity of data use today, the responsibility should shift from individual consent to holding data controllers accountable, ensuring fair and non-discriminatory data processing. India has the chance to create a forward-thinking privacy framework suitable for today’s data-intensive world.

The story of chess and rice illustrates exponential growth, paralleled in technology and genetics. Moore’s Law on computing power doubling every two years has led to advanced AI, machine learning, and virtual reality. Similarly, rapid advancements in genetics, outpacing Moore’s Law, are revolutionizing disease diagnosis and treatment, potentially transforming industries like insurance by redefining pre-existing conditions.

Law firms struggle with partner compensation models, balancing profit and collaboration. The “eat-what-you-kill” model, based on individual revenue generation, can lead to competition and reduced cooperation. In contrast, the lockstep system, rewarding tenure over performance, may not fully incentivize productivity. Similar challenges exist in finance, where hedge funds guard proprietary data. Numerai, an AI firm, addresses this by using homomorphic encryption and a public platform, allowing data scientists to contribute to a meta-model, democratizing data without compromising confidentiality, and rewarding contributions with bitcoin. This innovative approach could inspire similar solutions in the legal industry.

Lawmaking, fraught with the challenge of foreseeing unintended consequences, often leads to statutes filled with broad, catch-all provisions. These residuary clauses, while providing regulatory flexibility, create uncertainty and potential for overreach. The Other Service Providers (OSPs) regulations in telecom exemplify this, with vague definitions extending regulatory reach to unintended sectors. Precise, purpose-built legislation is advocated over open-ended definitions to avoid such regulatory ambiguities.

Early e-commerce companies in India had to create their own infrastructure, leading to the development of advanced logistics services within cities. However, inter-state transport has not seen the same technological transformation, largely due to regulatory constraints. Revisiting these regulations could lead to significant improvements in the national transportation infrastructure.