Rahul Sejwal

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Bravo @JeffBezos!

[शिक्षित बेरोज़गार @kaul_vivek]

The hype around AI is a lie. And everyone is in on it.

Illustration @MANJULtoons

The first part of my two part essay for @newslaundry. @MnshaP

The second part will be out in two days.

The AI boom isn’t just hype. It’s a narrative that too many powerful players now need to be true.

Governments, Big Tech, consultants, PR firms and the business media have built a self-reinforcing ecosystem around artificial intelligence.

Each has skin in the game. Each amplifies the story. And together, they keep the “AI will change everything – right now” narrative alive.

But history tells us something very different and we heard much of this before.

From railways in the 1840s to the internet in the 1990s, every major technological shift has been accompanied by breathless predictions, massive capital spending, and – inevitably – a bubble.

The pattern is familiar: overpromise in the short run, underdeliver initially, and then slowly, unevenly reshape the world over decades.

That’s Amara’s Law in action.

AI is no exception. Despite over $1 trillion in spending, the returns so far are underwhelming. Studies suggest most AI investments are delivering little to no measurable payoff. Yet companies are doubling down.

Why? Because not investing is riskier than investing. It's a career risk for those who run companies.

If AI fails, everyone fails together – no one gets fired. But if it succeeds and you didn’t invest, your job is on the line. So CEOs keep spending. Not because it works, but because they can’t afford not to.

Meanwhile, AI has become the perfect corporate tool:
1) A justification for cost-cutting
2) A lever to suppress wages
3) A way to signal “we are future-ready”

This happens even when the tech itself is mediocre – think frustrating chatbots replacing actual human service.

The deeper issue though is that we confuse technological advancement with adoption. Just because something can be built doesn’t mean it will be widely used.

Adoption is slowed by economics, regulation, culture, organisational inertia and plain old human resistance. The steam engine took decades. So did electricity. So did computers.

AI will too.

None of this means AI is useless. It will change work, industries and economies.

But not overnight. Not evenly. And not without significant disruption and disappointment along the way.

And the biggest risk right now isn’t missing out on AI. It’s believing the hype too literally.

https://t.co/q8xStZ5DWQ

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

2022 vs 2026

[Cumulus @Cumulus_PR]

ET Kaleido ✅ SABRE South Asia ✅ Fulcrum ✅
A home run for #Undekha with 3 Fulcrum Awards!
Grateful for a year of recognition & a Dehradun offsite filled with laughter, bonding & memories #TeamWin #Awards

[Cumulus @Cumulus_PR]

This Independence Day, we pause to honour not just the heroes who won us our freedom, but the stories that propelled the spirit of a nation seeking to claim its own destiny.
Contd: https://t.co/YLRyQ66me7
#IndependenceDay2025 #StoriesOfIndia #PurposeDrivenPR #Cumulus #JaiHind

[शिक्षित बेरोज़गार @kaul_vivek]

Decoding Mallya’s 259-minute spin job: From king of good times to podcast prince of excuses

Mallya’s “bad luck” narrative, expertly sold to millions, crumbles under scrutiny.

While unfortunate timing played a role, his downfall was fundamentally engineered by expansion into perilous aviation without an understanding of the level of risk, disastrous diversification diluting focus, and alleged financial malfeasance diverting loans.

His flamboyant lifestyle, epitomised by the infamous Goa birthday bash while employees suffered, transformed him from King of Good Times into the poster boy for corporate default – the “identified life” India loved to hate.

Ultimately, it wasn’t just fate, but a toxic cocktail of hubris, poor judgement, and questionable financial practices that grounded Mallya.

In the end Mallya won the ovarian lottery and then screwed it up.

My column @newslaundry

https://t.co/yY1Y791Ggl

[Cumulus @Cumulus_PR]

It was a day of big laughs punctuated with mad antics and general letting down of hair! Here’s how we celebrated 13 years of grit, growth and gloriously good times. We ready for next 13. Let it roll!

#ThirteenAndThriving #Anniversary #OnwardsAndUpwards

[Swati Chaturvedi @bainjal]

Really how vile how low what gutter scum must you be without an ounce of humanity to trash a new widow who lost her husband to terror but, refuses go succumb to hate for Muslims. Whoever owns this vile hate should consider deletion

[News Algebra @NewsAlgebraIND]

🚨 PWD releases Inventory List of CM Bungalow after Arvind Kejriwal vacated the House --

Superior Water Supply and Sanitary Installations – ₹15 Crores

SS Railing, Staircase Covering (Brass, Shower Enclosure, etc.) – ₹1.2 Crores

80 Window curtains – Between ₹4 crores – ₹5.6 crores

16 Ultra Slim Smart 4K TV, Voice Controlled- ₹64 lakhs

Smart LED – ₹19.5 lakhs
Freestanding Luminarie – ₹9.2 lakhs
OSADA Full Body Massage Chair- ₹4 lakhs
Recliner Sofas – ₹10 lakhs
8 Motorised Recliner Sofas: ₹10 Lakhs
Bose Loudspeaker – ₹4.5 lakh

2 Smart Refrigerators with inbuilt TV & AI Vision Screen – ₹9 Lakhs
73-litre. Steam Oven – ₹9 Lakhs
50-litre Microwave Oven – ₹6 Lakhs
2 Mounted Hoods 140 cm Stainless Steel Chimney – ₹6 Lakhs

BOSCH Series 8 Built-in Coffee Machine – ₹2.5 Lakhs
3 Hot Water Generators (Air to Water Heat Pump) – ₹22.5 Lakhs
LG 12 Kg Front Load Automatic Washing Machine + Dryer – ₹2.1 Lakhs

20 Grand Aged Brass Entrance Sconce Outdoor Lights – ₹10 Lakhs
Wooden & Glass Doors with Automatic Sliding Sensors – ₹70 Lakhs
24 Decorative Pillars: ₹36 Lakhs

[Cumulus @Cumulus_PR]

PR leaders gathered at #IndeComms 2024 in Pune for an enlightening session.
@Reenadsharma of Cumulus moderated a panel on ‘Risks independent PR firms face and how to overcome them,’ with insights from Rishi Seth, Shailesh Goyal, Srishty Chawla, & Sanya Bajaj.

[Reena Sharma @Reenadsharma]

A high profile mall at Golf course road. The floor didnt need rain for the bucket feature. Art installation available all year round. Can be a swimming pool, fragrance factory - offers a slippery floor too.#Southpointmall #Gratefultenant @iamrahulsejwal @bhavna1890

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Don’t take my word for it, just ask the Australian PM!

[Rahul Sejwal @iamrahulsejwal]

@tkarun @DPIITGoI

[Sanjay Kaul @sanjay_kaul]

TK Arun makes a point that should concern us. https://t.co/fAmV6GcWKW This inset cartoon is representative of the issue. But some may argue that start-ups feel the same way many times.

[Rahul Sejwal @iamrahulsejwal]

@bibekdebroy @KineticgreenEV @lohiaauto @officialbenlin1 @raftevstore @YuluBike @pureevindia

[Sanjay Kaul @sanjay_kaul]

Serious and severe erosion in enterprise value of EV OEMs who await resolution of their cases. Doesn’t augur well for the EV eco-system. More details today at 3 pm.

[Rahul Sejwal @iamrahulsejwal]

@leishembaa
@TweshMishra
@pankajdoval
@TVMohandasPai
@srbhema
@ampere_ev
@Hero_Electric
@nmunjal
@sgurumurthy

[Sanjay Kaul @sanjay_kaul]

Serious and severe erosion in enterprise value of EV OEMs who await resolution of their cases. Doesn’t augur well for the EV eco-system. More details today at 3 pm.

[Rahul Sejwal @iamrahulsejwal]

@surajeetatbs
@hormazdsorabjee
@Parikshitl
@nitinaayog
@kushanmitra
@SumitaKareer
@TheSMEV
@OlaElectric
@atherenergy
@RevoltMotorsIN
@OkinawaAutotech

[Sanjay Kaul @sanjay_kaul]

Serious and severe erosion in enterprise value of EV OEMs who await resolution of their cases. Doesn’t augur well for the EV eco-system. More details today at 3 pm.

[Rahul Sejwal @iamrahulsejwal]

@PlayMPL @winzoloverr @ZupeeOfficial @AIGFofficial #GamesKraft

[Sanjay Kaul @sanjay_kaul]

Aiming for a distinction between ‘large size tourneys’ and ‘quick continuous gaming’ when you haven’t been able to sell the difference between pure gaming and wagering is very unlikely.

[Rahul Sejwal @iamrahulsejwal]

@FinMinIndia
@nsitharaman
@GST_Council
@MIB_India
@NITIAayog
@Rajeev_GoI
@MeityPib
@SuperGamingNPC
@wearelucidlabs
@dot9games
@OutlierSocial
#NewGenGaming

[Sanjay Kaul @sanjay_kaul]

Aiming for a distinction between ‘large size tourneys’ and ‘quick continuous gaming’ when you haven’t been able to sell the difference between pure gaming and wagering is very unlikely.

[Rahul Sejwal @iamrahulsejwal]

@TVMohandasPai
@srbhema
@ampere_ev
@Hero_Electric
@nmunjal
@sgurumurthy
@tiruchisiva
@jawharsircar

[Sanjay Kaul @sanjay_kaul]

Possible breakthrough on the logjam in the EV subsidy matter. Thrashing out the details of the proposed solution. Sending the proposal to Minister MHI on behalf of OEMs today. Hope this works. @NITIAayog @PMOIndia @EACtoPM

[Rahul Sejwal @iamrahulsejwal]

@nitinaayog
@kushanmitra
@SumitaKareer
@TheSMEV
@OlaElectric
@atherenergy
@RevoltMotorsIN
@OkinawaAutotech
@leishembaa
@TweshMishra
@pankajdoval

[Sanjay Kaul @sanjay_kaul]

Possible breakthrough on the logjam in the EV subsidy matter. Thrashing out the details of the proposed solution. Sending the proposal to Minister MHI on behalf of OEMs today. Hope this works. @NITIAayog @PMOIndia @EACtoPM