AI ML IOT and All the Rest

 Jargon has a way of perpetuating itself, and going viral. One year ago, many of us wouldn't have heard of ChatGPT, only GST. Now, everyone uses it in conversation as if it's been around for 20 years. It's besides the point whether anyone has actually used it.

Earlier, life was simple. People were only experts in a few things. Now, all of a sudden, you see experts (mostly self-certified), giving us gyan about everything under the Sun, Moon and the Milky Way. They sprout faster than sprouted lentils, and are, like the almighty, everywhere. God may not be happy with the comparison, but...

If you want to become an expert, all you need is a social media account. You can spout eloquent on any topic under the sky (Sun, Moon included), and you will have a few people acknowledging you as the Master (of the subject, or the Universe as the case may be).

Then you just bask in all that attention, and come back with renewed vigour, putting the Yohanis to shade. Dhinchak Pooja did that for a while, too, but the experts remain. They cannot be erased so easily from the ether.

Why Predictions Are Iffy

Predictions, barring a few, are iffy. Newspapers wrote reams, and business news channels expended hours with "experts" about everything from stock prices, movements of indices, and oil prices per barrel, in the months leading up to the Corona crisis.

And what do you have now?

Sensex at 29,000 instead of 41,000

Oil prices at 30 dollars a barrel instead of 60 and climbing

Consumer sentiment at zilch

Job cuts in most sectors, unprecedented in aviation, tourism and allied sectors like hotels, restaurants (except where they have home-delivery options)

The most-in-demand are doctors who have sane advice, and politicians who have their hearts in the right place- a few may still be around.

Those who keep the wheels running in these tough times, well, hats off to all of them.

Pre and Post

I thought I would prepone this post. But that is wrong. I mean, the English, according to the Queen. The one floating on a barge with a disreputable sardar. So I postponed the post. That sounds right, somehow, so here it is.

There was a post-monsoon shower yesterday. How do I know that it was post-monsoon? Because experts said that the one last week was pre-monsoon. How do they know? I don't know, but experts being experts, they are always right- like the boss, or the wife. Facts of life, like the birds and bees. And taxes, whose 'dead'line is fast approaching. I have another silly doubt about tax returns. Even if you are not getting any money back, are you still filing a 'return' ? Your Majesty, your views on this, if you be pleased.

Anyway, back to the pre and post business. Can you just 'pre' something like you post something? I will leave you to think about this, post-pulling your hair out.