ChatGPT goof ups

ChatGPT or its equivalent is not full proof and can mess up at critical junctures. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, at the Hindu AI Summit2024 narrated two personal instances where it goofed up.

At an event the ChatGPT or an equivalent was asked to write a note on him as the chief guest. It merged him with Raghuram Rajan — both having a few things in common, including the last name; MIT and having served on various panels together — and started attributing all kinds of things to the minister that were incorrect.

In another case, it merged the minister with a close family friend — Madurai-based Karumuttu T. Kannan — who had recently died. Such mistakes occur because the data that is going into the presentation is not well defined.

Paint poacher

One of India’s older conglomerates has been a late entrant to the paint sector but has rapidly added capacity to push its way into the top.

It has been poaching people not only from rival paints companies but also from lubricants makers and FMCG companies according to HR circles.

It’s current top management and leadership are largely drawn from paints and consumer sectors. The company is understood to be offering a markup on salaries compared to industry.

Games bankers’ play

A little bird in the banking sector says the elevation of an Executive Director (ED) of a public sector bank (PSB) as MD & CEO of another PSB has run into a wall as a nifty rival is believed to have used his personal equation in the higher echelons of a regulatory organisation to play “letter” games.

This “letter” has put the Department of Financial Services in a fix as this ED has not only been recommended to be elevated as the chief of another PSB by the Financial Services Institutions Board (FSIB), but has also been given additional two years extension by the Government in his existing Bank. This begs the question “when an ED is ‘fit and proper’ to occupy the current position, then why is he not ‘fit and proper’ to become MD & CEO of another PSB?” The FSIB has recommended the ED’s elevation in April, but it remains to be seen if the DFS buckles under the “letter” pressure or puts its stamp of authority on matters of appointment in public sector banks.

Power Politics

In the high-octane world of Indian politics, even a power outage can spark a political storm. Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on the Adani controversy — intended to shine a light on alleged corruption — ironically found itself plunged into darkness. Quick on his feet, Gandhi quipped about “Adani power, Modi power,” ensuring the power cut became fuel for political theatrics.

Not to be left behind, BJP’s Sambit Patra turned the tables with his own brand of wit, suggesting it was Congress leader Jairam Ramesh who might have pulled the plug, ostensibly to spare the audience from Gandhi’s repetitive tirades.

Whether it’s “Adani power” or “Modi power”, the public deserves a brighter narrative — one powered by accountability, not mere political posturing.

To be a better Family Man

At the recent Dialogues on Development Management event in Delhi, Aamir Khan was asked by moderator, former Bain chairman Amit Chandra which role in life the star would want to be remembered by — Actor, Film producer, social activist, family man or close friend. To which the actor candidly responded — “Well, I am lagging behind badly in the Family Man role. I need to do better in that!”