We tend to resist change. We worry about the ways in which it could alter our existing way of life and the harms that could result as a consequence. But these technological changes almost always end up being nowhere near as frightening as they first seemed.

Advances in technology have transformed our societal interactions in ways that challenge the state’s monopoly over violence. Today large tech companies (not governments) determine how our interactions take place. Which means that we need to rethink governance structures if the state is to continue to protect its citizens.

We need to encourage a culture of failure around AI so that when it fails we can understand why and disseminate those learnings throughout the industry. It is only when we can fail without fear that we will learn to do what it takes to build safe AI systems.

Everyone says we need to embrace renewable energy to address the challenges of climate change. But integrating variable supplies of electricity into our current grid is easier said than done. One way to do that might be to virtualise our power plants.

The PM-EAC suggests that AI should be regulated as a complex adaptive system. While there is a lot to say about this approach, in its articulation, the paper fails to take into account many of the essential features of modern AI.

There is widespread consternation around the impact that deep-fakes are going to have on all of society this year. But most legislative counter-measures are oriented towards shooting the messenger. We need a different path. Thankfully we have been here before.

The ODR approach can offer the soon-to-be-formed Data Protection Board mechanisms that are digital from the ground up. By integrating various elements of India’s digital public infrastructure into the ODR process adopted, we can ensure that data protection in India is techno-legal from the get-go.

As we look to adopt techno-legal regulations in various different aspects of our technology driven world we need to be mindful of the need to retain a “zone of mischief” - a level of flexibility that will offer us the freedom to innovate and improve.

The idea of micro-robots is about to make the transition from science fiction to science fact. But before we can take advantage of all that this new technology has to offer we will need to consider the various legal, ethical and societal concerns that this new technology can raise.

In the last week of 2023, the New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement. The allegations in the complaint go to the core of how generative AI works and could shape the manner in which AI works going forward.