Over the past decade, The availability of value-for-money smartphones and smart devices has empowered Indian consumers to engage with the growing digital economy of India over the past decade. While doing so, they have also benefited from the latest technological advancements at affordable price points. According to a study conducted by CyberMedia Research (CMR), the rise of affordable smartphones has, over the past five years, translated to a significant uptick in digital payments (88%), content creation/consumption (80%) and gaming (70%) in India. How different brands have helped this changeAs per the study, Xiaomi has maintained a dominant market presence over the past decade in India. 42% of people involved in the study expressed their satisfaction and preference for its products. For another 27% of those surveyed, Xiaomi was their first-ever smartphone, with Samsung (24%) following a close second. As per the survey, 53% of users were satisfied with Xiaomi smartphones and smart devices. 45% of users also said that Xiaomi was their most loved brand among others. Key highlights of the study Friends and family exert the strongest influence (63%) on users when it comes to buying a smartphone and smart devices. In terms of brand imagery, Samsung is strongly associated with industry leadership (42%), reliability (42%), popularity (42%), long usable life (42%) and feeling great (41%). On the other hand, Xiaomi is strongly associated with feeling great (53%), feeling powerful (46%), reliability (42%), customer centricity (45%), and industry leadership (44%). In smartphone and smart devices, Xiaomi has the highest total awareness (78%) followed by Samsung (75%), However in terms of usage in the last decade, Xiaomi leads (42%) the pack followed by Samsung (36%). Thus, the conversion of awareness of the brand to its usage is maximum in the case of Xiaomi (54%) followed by Samsung (45%). When it comes to smartphone brand awareness, Xiaomi leads in ToM (14%) as well as total recall (79%) closely followed by Samsung (ToM – 13%, Total Recall – 77%). While comparing current primary usage of smartphone brands also, Xiaomi leads (13%) the pack closely followed by Samsung (12%) and Vivo (11%). Users of smartphones and smart devices of Xiaomi and Samsung brands are most satisfied (92%) followed by users of Apple (91%) and Boat (90%). In satisfaction level of smartphones, OnePlus (93%) users are most satisfied followed by Xiaomi (92%) and Apple (91%) users.

Soon after taking over X (formerly X), Elon Musk announced that he wants to make the platform an “everything app.” In line with that vision, the company has brought a number of features, including the ability to read/ post long texts and watch hour long videos. The company is now adding another one: video calls. “Soon you’ll be able to make video chat calls without having to give your phone number to anyone on the platform,” the company CEO Linda Yaccarino said during an interview with CNBC, while talking about other features like creator subscriptions and payments.Her confirmation comes a day after X designer Andrea Conway posted, “just called someone on X,” followed by four head-exploding emoji. At that time, it wasn’t clear what she was referring to: voice calls or video calls or both. What its means for WhatsAppMeta-owned WhatsApp will have a direct competitor as X will allow sharing of videos, payments, DMs, microblogging, support for sharing videos and photos, among others. Meanwhile, Meta recently launched Threads to take on X and has seen a drastic decline in monthly active users after 100 million sign ups within a few days after debut.Yaccarino’s role at XYaccarino also said that she has ‘autonomy’ under Musk and noted that while the SpaceX CEO controls product and development, her role was “everything else” involved in “running the company.”Recently, the company made some changes in the top leadership and the way how the company will work. A report claimed that Musk and Yaccarino will oversee the trust and safety team. While Musk will see X’s product and engineering team and Yaccarino will oversee all other divisions, including human resources, legal, finance, sales and operations.The company has also been searching for a new leader for brand safety and suitability. Its previous head of brand safety, A J Brown, who worked on efforts to prevent advertisements from appearing next to unsuitable content, quit in June.

From name change to new features, X has gone through a lot of changes since it was taken over by Elon Musk in 2022. Earlier, Musk was acting as the CEO of the micro-blogging site. In May, the billionaire stepped down from his position and announced Linda Yaccarinoas the new CEO of the social media platform. In an interview with CNBC, X’s current CEO Yaccarino said that she has “autonomy” under owner Elon Musk to run the company.She also mentioned that advertisers should be comfortable returning to the platform under her leadership. What Yaccarino said about her role in XYaccarino referred to the tweet which announced her hiring for the platform. In this tweet, Musk noted his control over product and development, while Yaccarino mentioned that her role was “everything else” involved in “running the company.” She also said that the company was “close” to breaking even. Yaccarino’s assurance to advertisersUnder Yaccarino’s leadership, popular brands like Coca-Cola, Visa and others have returned to X advertising. She also added that this happened due to her direct engagement with marketing and communications executives.Yaccarino also noted the platform’s effort to improve the advertiser experience. This effort was needed for X after brands fled from the platform after Musk acquired it. She said that brands are “protected from the risk of being next to” potentially toxic content. She explained that if the content is “lawful but awful” it is difficult to remove the content from the platform. However, X’s new content controls will bring down advertiser risk, she added. Yaccarino also revealed that X is now “healthier” than it was a year ago. However, she mentioned that users “might not agree” with all posts. Yaccarino on layoffsX CEO also explained that layoffs were a “very necessary cost discipline exercise,” and confirmed that the company now has about 1,500 employees. Twitter employed around 8,000 people before Musk acquired it.

Zoom, the company that normalized attending business meetings in your pajama pants, was forced to unmute itself this week to reassure users that it would not use personal data to train artificial intelligence without their consent. A keen-eyed Hacker News user last week noticed that an update to Zoom’s terms and conditions in March appeared to essentially give the company free rein to slurp up voice, video, and other data, and shovel it into machine learning systems. The new terms stated that customers “consent to Zoom’s access, use, collection, creation, modification, distribution, processing, sharing, maintenance, and storage of Service Generated Data” for purposes including “machine learning or artificial intelligence (including for training and tuning of algorithms and models).” The discovery prompted critical news articles and angry posts across social media. Soon, Zoom backtracked. On Monday, Zoom’s chief product officer, Smita Hasham, wrote a blog post stating, “We will not use audio, video, or chat customer content to train our artificial intelligence models without your consent.” The company also updated its terms to say the same. Those updates seem reassuring enough, but of course many Zoom users or admins for business accounts might click “OK” to the terms without fully realizing what they’re handing over. And employees required to use Zoom may be unaware of the choice their employer has made. One lawyer notes that the terms still permit Zoom to collect a lot of data without consent. (Zoom did not respond to a request for comment.) The kerfuffle shows the lack of meaningful data protections at a time when the generative AI boom has made the tech industry even more hungry for data than it already was. Companies have come to view generative AI as a kind of monster that must be fed at all costs—even if it isn’t always clear what exactly that data is needed for or what those future AI systems might end up doing. The ascent of AI image generators like DALL-E 2 and Midjourny, followed by ChatGPT and other clever-yet-flawed chatbots, was made possible thanks to huge amounts of training data—much of it copyrighted—that was scraped from the web. And all manner of companies are currently looking to use the data they own, or that is generated by their customers and users, to build generative AI tools. Zoom is already on the generative bandwagon. In June, the company introduced two text-generation features for summarizing meetings and composing emails about them. Zoom could conceivably use data from its users’ video meetings to develop more sophisticated algorithms. These might summarize or analyze individuals’ behavior in meetings, or perhaps even render a virtual likeness for someone whose connection temporarily dropped or hasn’t had time to shower. The problem with Zoom’s effort to grab more data is that it reflects the broad state of affairs when it comes to our personal data. Many tech companies already profit from our information, and many of them like Zoom are now on the hunt for ways to source more data for generative AI projects. And yet it is up to us, the users, to try to police what they are doing. “Companies have an extreme desire to collect as much data as they can,” says Janet Haven, executive director of the think tank Data and Society. “This is the business model—to collect data and build products around that data, or to sell that data to data brokers.” The US lacks a federal privacy law, leaving consumers more exposed to the pangs of ChatGPT-inspired data hunger than people in the EU. Proposed legislation, such as the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, offers some hope of providing tighter federal rules on data collection and use, and the Biden administration’s AI Bill of Rights also calls for data protection by default. But for now, public pushback like that in response to Zoom’s moves is the most effective way to curb companies’ data appetites. Unfortunately, this isn’t a reliable mechanism for catching every questionable decision by companies trying to compete in AI. In an age when the most exciting and widely praised new technologies are built atop mountains of data collected from consumers, often in ethically questionable ways, it seems that new protections can’t come soon enough. “Every single person is supposed to take steps to protect themselves,” Havens says. “That is antithetical to the idea that this is a societal problem.”

Patient capital with no exit mandates can benefit founders in India, where it can take much longer to become sustainable, said Nikhil Kamath Kamath also said that entrepreneurs can benefit from investors ‘willing to stick around’ rather than those looking to generate ‘rapid returns’ Rainmatter has so far invested nearly INR 400 Cr in 80 startups across sectors such as fintech, health and wellness, edtech and climate tech Zerodha’s investment arm Rainmatter has earmarked an additional INR 1,000 Cr capital to invest in sectors such as health, education, and climate change. In a tweet on Thursday (August 10), Zerodha cofounder and chief executive officer (CEO) Nithin Kamath said that the fresh capital would be invested in a unique ‘perennial structure’ that will have no exit mandates for the investor.  “We are now increasing our commitment by increasing the allocation by an additional INR 1,000 Cr in a perennial structure or with the ability to stay invested forever. Patient capital with no exit mandates that founders can benefit from when building an enterprise, in India specifically, where unlike in developed countries, it can take much longer to become resilient and sustainable,” said Kamath in a blogpost. He further said that the investment arm can ‘remain invested forever’ as the fund is backed by the firm’s own capital. Elaborating on the rationale for ‘patient capital’ for Indian founders, Kamath said that entrepreneurs can benefit from investors ‘willing to stick around’ rather than those looking to generate ‘rapid returns’. He also said that investors that bring in long-term patient capital to build ‘good, sustainable, long-term businesses’ would bode well for the local startup ecosystem.  “Good businesses cannot be built overnight, something we learned in our journey. So we are perennial investors and stick with the founders for as long as it takes the founders to build a sustainable business,” added Kamath.  Recounting his own journey, Kamath said that Zerodha succeeded because the investment tech startup had the freedom to do what it ‘thought was right’ without worrying, at the outset, about growing quickly in a slow-growing market. He added that when the markets boomed, Zerodha was there ‘ready to get lucky’. He also noted that a startup’s chances of getting ‘lucky’ grow higher as it survives longer while opting to grow slowly and steadily. In a tweet, Kamath said that Rainmatter has already invested nearly INR 400 Cr in 80 startups. Growing from a fintech fund and incubator at the beginning of 2016, Rainmatter has lately expanded its focus to sectors such as healthtech, edtech and climate tech.  Its fintech portfolio includes startups such as smallcase, Ditto and Digio, while its health and wellness portfolio counts names such as The Whole Truth, Peesafe, among others. In addition, it has also invested in climate tech startups such as Akshayakalpa, Solarsquare, Zerocircle, Ossus, among others.  Curiously, the announcement comes barely weeks after investment veteran and InfoEdge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani, speaking at Inc42’s MoneyX, said that longer holding periods and the absence of pressure to provide exits could help corporate venture funds (CVFs) generate higher returns than their VC peers.  A typical venture capital fund generally expects exit within a seven-year timeframe. However, major names in the Indian startup ecosystem such as Zomato (founded in 2008) took more than a decade to turn profitable. Meanwhile, companies such as Paytm (founded in 2009) and PB Fintech (2008) which were founded in the late 2000s could not have offered major investment returns (barring IPO) for years as they have just begun to chart a path towards profitability.  With the announcement, Rainmatter has joined a growing list of investment firms that have accumulated dry powder to tap into the Indian startup ecosystem amid adverse market conditions. As per Inc42, more than 40 funds worth more than $3.6 Bn have been announced this year so far to be deployed in startups across various stages and sectors. 

Managing wealth is more than just accumulating money; it involves strategically planning and optimizing your financial resources to achieve your long-term goals. A comprehensive wealth management plan provides a holistic approach to managing your wealth, integrating various aspects of your financial life to create a cohesive strategy. In this article, we will explore the benefits of having a comprehensive wealth management plan and how it can help you achieve financial success. Clear Financial Goals A comprehensive wealth management plan starts with defining your financial goals and aspirations. By clarifying your objectives, whether it’s saving for retirement, purchasing a home, funding education, or leaving a legacy, you can align your financial decisions and actions accordingly. Having clear goals gives you direction and purpose, allowing you to make informed choices that support your long-term vision. Integrated Approach A comprehensive wealth management plan takes into account all aspects of your financial life, including investment management, tax planning, retirement planning, estate planning, risk management, and more. By integrating these different components, your plan becomes cohesive and synchronized, ensuring that each element works harmoniously to support your overall financial objectives. This integrated approach helps avoid fragmented strategies and maximizes the efficiency of your financial resources. Risk Management A crucial benefit of a comprehensive wealth management plan is the inclusion of risk management strategies. This involves assessing and managing various risks that could impact your financial well-being, such as market volatility, economic downturns, health emergencies, or unforeseen events. By identifying potential risks and implementing appropriate measures, such as diversification, insurance coverage, and emergency funds, you can protect your wealth and minimize potential losses. Professional Expertise A comprehensive wealth management plan often involves working with experienced professionals, such as financial advisors, tax specialists, estate planners, and attorneys. A company like Bennet & Porter can be a good reference point to what to look for in an expert! These companies have the knowledge and expertise to provide personalized advice, guide you through complex financial matters, and help you make informed decisions. They can assist in analyzing your financial situation, developing a tailored plan, and adapting it as your circumstances change over time. Access to professional expertise ensures that your wealth management plan is well-informed and optimized for your specific needs. Tax Efficiency Effective tax planning is an essential component of a comprehensive wealth management plan. By proactively considering tax implications in investment decisions, income distribution, and estate planning, you can optimize your tax efficiency and potentially reduce your tax burden. This may involve strategies like utilizing tax-advantaged accounts, maximizing deductions, managing capital gains, and implementing estate planning techniques to minimize estate taxes. By maximizing your after-tax returns, you can preserve and grow your wealth more effectively. Why is it crucial to have a comprehensive wealth management plan? Having a comprehensive wealth management plan is crucial. The wealth management plan consists of different types and segments of the financial aspect, and with the help of experts you will create a financial plan that will enable you and your children to have a more carefree future. We will list you some of the key benefits that will make your wealth management plan better. Holistic Approach A well-structured wealth management plan considers all aspects of your financial life, including investments, retirement planning, estate planning, tax strategies, insurance needs, and more. This holistic approach ensures that all areas of your financial well-being are addressed. Optimized Investment Strategy When you are understanding your risk tolerance, time horizon, and financial objectives, a wealth management plan can tailor an investment strategy that aligns with your needs. This can help optimize your investment returns while managing risk appropriately. Retirement Planning Planning for retirement is a critical component of wealth management. A comprehensive plan helps estimate how much you need to save for retirement, explores suitable retirement vehicles, and ensures you have a comfortable retirement. Estate Planning Without a proper estate plan, your assets may not be distributed according to your wishes after your passing. A comprehensive wealth management plan includes estate planning to ensure your assets are transferred smoothly to your heirs or beneficiaries. Flexibility and Adaptability Life is unpredictable, and circumstances change over time. A comprehensive plan can be adjusted to accommodate life events like marriage, children, career changes, or unexpected financial challenges. Peace of Mind Knowing that you have a well-thought-out financial roadmap can provide peace of mind and reduce financial stress. It helps you feel more in control of your financial future. Professional Guidance Developing a comprehensive wealth management plan often involves the expertise of financial advisors or wealth managers. These professionals can offer valuable insights, personalized advice, and ongoing support, making sure your plan remains on track. Photo credit: Unsplash Conclusion In conclusion, a comprehensive wealth management plan is essential to provide financial clarity, security, and peace of mind. It considers all aspects of your financial life and helps you make informed decisions to work towards your goals effectively.

The UPI (Unified Payments System) digital payment system is getting an upgrade, including the addition of conversational payments that allows users to chat with AI-powered systems to make payments, offline UPI payments and an increased limit for UPI Lite. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announced three new features during the Monetary Policy Committee meeting on Thursday, August 10. AI-powered conversational UPI paymentsNPCI plans to introduce ‘Conversational Payments’ on UPI, allowing users to make payments by conversing with AI-powered systems, which is expected to increase digital penetration in the country. Conversational instructions can enhance UPI’s ease of use and reach, which has transformed India’s digital payments ecosystem, notes Das. The feature will be available on both smartphones and feature phones-based UPI channels, initially in Hindi and English and later in more Indian languages.Offline UPI paymentsAnother feature to be announced is that UPI Lite will allow for offline UPI payments with near-field communication (NFC) technology, making payments easier for users by tapping their smartphone on the point-of-sale (PoS) machine.“To promote the use of UPI Lite, it is proposed to facilitate offline transactions using NFC technology. This feature will not only enable retail digital payments in situations where internet or telecom connectivity is weak or not available, it will also ensure speed, with minimal transaction decline,” the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) said in a statement.Increased UPI Lite limitRBI has proposed to increase the per transaction limit for UPI Lite to Rs 500 from Rs 200 in offline mode. The current limit for small-value digital payments in offline mode, including for National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) and UPI Lite, is Rs 2,000 per payment instrument. However, the overall limit remains at Rs 2,000 to limit the risks associated with relaxing two-factor authentication. RBI will issue instructions regarding this soon.“There have been demands for enhancing these limits. To encourage wider adoption of this mode of payments and bring in more use cases into this mode, it is now proposed to increase the per transaction limit to Rs 500,” RBI Governer said.

In today’s increasingly cashless society, teaching children about financial literacy is more important than ever. One effective tool for introducing kids to responsible money management is a debit card. While traditionally associated with adults, debit cards can be a valuable educational resource, enabling parents to impart crucial financial skills to their children from an early age. This article explores the benefits of using debit cards as a means to teach kids about financial literacy and responsible spending. When it comes to the various options of this offer, the first choice of many parents is the winner of numerous awards, Busy Kid – kid debit card. photo credit: Kindel Media / Pexels Introducing Budgeting Skills Debit cards provide an excellent platform for teaching children about budgeting. By setting a specific amount of money on the card, parents can help their kids understand the concept of limited funds. This approach encourages children to think critically about their spending choices and prioritize their purchases accordingly. As they gain experience managing their card balance, kids will develop essential budgeting skills that will serve them well in the future. Encouraging Responsible Spending Habits Unlike credit cards, which allow users to spend money they don’t have, debit cards promote responsible spending. With a debit card, kids can only spend the funds available in their account, teaching them the importance of staying within their means. This hands-on experience with real money helps children understand the consequences of overspending and instills a sense of financial responsibility early on. Tracking Transactions and Account Balances Debit cards provide an opportunity for children to learn how to track their transactions and monitor their account balances. By regularly checking their card activity online or through mobile banking apps, kids can gain insights into their spending patterns. This practice enables them to evaluate their expenses, identify areas where they can save, and make more informed decisions about their future purchases. Learning Digital Financial Management In an era where digital transactions dominate, it is crucial for children to become comfortable with online banking and financial management. Using a debit card helps kids become familiar with digital platforms, as they learn to navigate online account access, monitor transactions, and set up automatic payments. This exposure to digital financial management equips children with essential skills they will undoubtedly rely on in their adult lives. Developing Independence and Decision-Making By empowering children with their own debit cards, parents give them a sense of financial independence and the opportunity to make their own spending decisions. So a credit card can be the perfect growing up gift. Under parental guidance, kids can learn from their choices, understanding the value of their purchases and recognizing the need for careful decision-making. These experiences foster a sense of autonomy and self-discipline, setting the stage for responsible financial habits as they grow older. Setting Time-bound Obligations Using debit cards, parents can establish time-bound obligations for their children. For example, parents can assign certain chores or responsibilities to their kids, attaching a specific deadline for completion. To encourage a sense of ownership, parents can link monetary rewards or allowances to the successful completion of these tasks within the specified timeframe. This approach not only teaches children about the importance of meeting deadlines but also introduces them to the concept of earning money in exchange for fulfilling obligations. Understanding Consequences of Delay Debit cards can help children grasp the consequences of delayed action. If a child fails to meet a deadline for a specific task, parents can use the opportunity to explain how delayed completion affects their financial standing. For instance, parents can highlight that late completion of chores could result in a delay in receiving their allowance or impact their ability to make desired purchases. This practical lesson helps children comprehend the link between time-bound obligations and the outcomes of their actions. Encouraging Accountability Debit cards provide a means for children to take ownership of their financial obligations. By monitoring their transactions and balances, children can develop a sense of accountability. Regularly reviewing their spending and discussing it with parents allows children to understand the impact of their choices on their financial standing. This process fosters a sense of responsibility and encourages children to make conscious decisions regarding their purchases, while also meeting their obligations within the given time limits. Conclusion Introducing children to debit cards at an appropriate age can be an effective way to teach them about financial literacy. By using these cards, kids can learn budgeting skills, responsible spending habits, and digital financial management. Moreover, the hands-on experience of monitoring transactions and making decisions helps children develop independence and critical thinking. With proper guidance and supervision, debit cards can be powerful tools in preparing the younger generation for a financially responsible future.

On a QoQ basis, CarTrade’s PAT declined 22.7% from INR 17.49 Cr in the quarter ended March 2023 despite lower expenses, as its sales declined Operating revenue stood at INR 86 Cr, down over 10% QoQ but up 4% on a YoY basis CarTrade’s adjusted EBITDA rose 74% YoY to INR 30.9 Cr but declined from INR 39.83 Cr in the preceding March quarter Auto marketplace CarTrade Technologies reported an over 300% rise in its profit after tax (PAT) at INR 13.5 Cr in the first quarter of the financial year 2023-24 (FY24) from INR 3.3 Cr posted in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. However, on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis, the startup’s PAT declined 22.7% from INR 17.49 Cr in the quarter ended March 2023 despite lower expenses, as its sales declined. CarTrade clocked a record quarterly revenue of INR 106.9 Cr in Q1 FY24. Its operating revenue stood at INR 86 Cr, down over 10% QoQ. However, operating revenue grew around 4% YoY from INR 82.8 Cr. CarTrade’s adjusted EBITDA (adjusted for ESOP cost) for Q1 FY24 stood at INR 30.9 Cr, a rise of 74% YoY. However, adjusted EBITDA too declined on a QoQ basis from INR 39.83 Cr. ESOP costs during the quarter under review stood at INR 4.6 Cr as against INR 5.3 Cr in the year-ago period and INR 7.3 Cr in Q4 FY23. Commenting on the quarterly performance, Vinay Sanghi, chairman and founder of CarTrade, said that the company’s PAT continues to outpace the revenue growth as it has an asset-light and scalable business model. “Our robust brands manifest their strength by being leaders in Google Trends and in our huge average monthly unique visitor count of 34 Mn, 85% of which originates organically,” said Sanghi. While this number increased YoY, visitors’ number remained unchanged from the last quarter. However, the company claims that its large customer base and resultant exposure gives OEMs and dealers the perfect platform to effectively leverage their marketing spends and enhance sales. Founded in 2009 by ex-Mahindra First Choice CEO Sanghi and former eBay India head Rajan Mehra, CarTrade is a multi-channel auto platform which has a presence across all vehicle types and value-added services. It operates platforms like CarTrade, BikeWale, and CarWale, among others. CarTrade said that the number of listings for auction on its platforms stood at 2.5 Lakh in Q1 FY24, while the volumes sold via auction stood at 49,112 in the quarter. CarTrade’s total expenses declined to INR 75.9 Cr in Q1 FY24 from INR 76.3 Cr in Q4 FY23. However, expenses rose 5% YoY. Employee expenses, excluding ESOP, grew over 6% QoQ and 8% YoY to INR 46.9 Cr In Q1 FY24. CarTrade recently acquired OLX India’s auto business for a consideration of INR 537 Cr. Following the results, shares of CarTrade ended Thursday’s session 1% higher at INR 535 on the BSE.

There was a time in the not too distant past—say, nine months ago—when the Turing test seemed like a pretty stringent detector of machine intelligence. Chances are you’re familiar with how it works: Human judges hold text conversations with two hidden interlocutors, one human and one computer, and try to determine which is which. If the computer manages to fool at least 30 percent of the judges, it passes the test and is pronounced capable of thought. For 70 years, it was hard to imagine how a computer could pass the test without possessing what AI researchers now call artificial general intelligence, the entire range of human intellectual capacities. Then along came large language models such as GPT and Bard, and the Turing test suddenly began seeming strangely outmoded. OK, sure, a casual user today might admit with a shrug, GPT-4 might very well pass a Turing test if you asked it to impersonate a human. But so what? LLMs lack long-term memory, the capacity to form relationships, and a litany of other human capabilities. They clearly have some way to go before we’re ready to start befriending them, hiring them, and electing them to public office. And yeah, maybe the test does feel a little empty now. But it was never merely a pass/fail benchmark. Its creator, Alan Turing, a gay man sentenced in his time to chemical castration, based his test on an ethos of radical inclusivity: The gap between genuine intelligence and a fully convincing imitation of intelligence is only as wide as our own prejudice. When a computer provokes real human responses in us—engaging our intellect, our amazement, our gratitude, our empathy, even our fear—that is more than empty mimicry. So maybe we need a new test: the Actual Alan Turing Test. Bring the historical Alan Turing, father of modern computing—a tall, fit, somewhat awkward man with straight dark hair, loved by colleagues for his childlike curiosity and playful humor, personally responsible for saving an estimated 14 million lives in World War II by cracking the Nazi Enigma code, subsequently persecuted so severely by England for his homosexuality that it may have led to his suicide—into a comfortable laboratory room with an open MacBook sitting on the desk. Explain that what he sees before him is merely an enormously glorified incarnation of what is now widely known by computer scientists as a “Turing machine.” Give him a second or two to really take that in, maybe offering a word of thanks for completely transforming our world. Then hand him a stack of research papers on artificial neural networks and LLMs, give him access to GPT’s source code, open up a ChatGPT prompt window—or, better yet, a Bing-before-all-the-sanitizing window—and set him loose. Imagine Alan Turing initiating a light conversation about long-distance running, World War II historiography, and the theory of computation. Imagine him seeing the realization of all his wildest, most ridiculed speculations scrolling with uncanny speed down the screen. Imagine him asking GPT to solve elementary calculus problems, to infer what human beings might be thinking in various real-world scenarios, to explore complex moral dilemmas, to offer marital counseling and legal advice and an argument for the possibility of machine consciousness—skills which, you inform Turing, have all emerged spontaneously in GPT without any explicit direction by its creators. Imagine him experiencing that little cognitive-emotional lurch that so many of us have now felt: Hello, other mind. A thinker as deep as Turing would not be blind to GPT’s limitations. As a victim of profound homophobia, he would probably be alert to the dangers of implicit bias encoded in GPT’s training data. It would be apparent to him that despite GPT’s astonishing breadth of knowledge, its creativity and critical reasoning skills are on par with a diligent undergraduate’s at best. And he would certainly recognize that this undergraduate suffers from severe anterograde amnesia, unable to form new relationships or memories beyond its intensive education. But still: Imagine the scale of Turing’s wonder. The computational entity on the laptop in front of him is, in a very real sense, his intellectual child—and ours. Appreciating intelligence in our children as they grow and develop is always, in the end, an act of wonder, and of love. The Actual Alan Turing Test is not a test of AI at all. It is a test of us humans. Are we passing—or failing?