India’s first trillion-parameter model to power next-gen AI apps

**India’s First Trillion-Parameter AI Model to Power Next-Gen Applications**

*By Mudit Dube | Sep 19, 2025, 05:18 PM*

In a major stride for India’s artificial intelligence landscape, BharatGen—a government-backed consortium led by IIT Bombay—has been awarded over ₹900 crore under the IndiaAI Mission. This substantial funding will support the creation of India’s first trillion-parameter large language model (LLM), designed to fuel next-generation AI applications across multiple sectors.

### Building a Trillion-Parameter Model for India

The ambitious project aims to develop a massive AI model tailored specifically for Indian contexts. However, this colossal “mother” model is not intended for direct consumer use. Instead, it will be distilled into smaller, domain-specific models suited for industries such as law, agriculture, and finance.

Rishi Bal, Executive Vice President at BharatGen, explained that these distilled models could serve practical uses—like agricultural advisory tools available in various regional languages or legal assistants trained on Indian case law—making AI more accessible and useful across diverse fields.

### Creating a Sovereign Indian Dataset

To ensure that the LLM accurately reflects India’s unique languages and cultures, BharatGen is heavily investing in building a sovereign dataset. The consortium is collaborating with publishers to license archival content and is providing free OCR services to digitize regional texts.

Furthermore, crowdsourced annotation efforts are underway to capture the linguistic nuances and cultural specificities of Indian languages. This indigenous data collection strategy is aimed at reducing reliance on foreign datasets and better aligning AI outputs with Indian realities.

### Overcoming GPU Supply and Funding Challenges

Training a trillion-parameter AI model requires thousands of GPUs working in parallel, and hardware availability remains a key challenge. Bal noted that, like many in the field, BharatGen must navigate GPU supply constraints.

The ₹900 crore government funding will partially subsidize GPU acquisition, supporting the computational backbone of this mammoth training effort. Under the IndiaAI Mission, nearly 40,000 GPUs have been allocated across various initiatives, including BharatGen’s sovereign LLM project.

### Focus on Reliability and Real-World Impact

BharatGen CEO Ganesh Ramakrishnan emphasized that the focus is on building models grounded in Indian data and languages rather than simply scaling up parameters. He highlighted the importance of reliability for real-world applications.

The consortium plans to release distilled models to developers, enabling startups and enterprises to build AI-powered solutions without needing to train massive models from scratch. This approach is expected to accelerate innovation and democratize access to cutting-edge AI technology.

### Collaborative, Efficient Operations

Operating on a hub-and-spoke model with teams spread across India, BharatGen brings together engineers, data scientists, and domain experts while maintaining lean operations. This distributed structure fosters collaboration and specialization.

Looking ahead, BharatGen is exploring public-private partnerships and sustainable revenue models such as licensing distilled AI models — ensuring continuous growth and broader adoption of Indian AI technologies.

With this landmark project, BharatGen is paving the way for AI systems that are not only powerful but also deeply rooted in India’s linguistic and cultural landscape, promising impactful and reliable applications across the nation’s key sectors.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/iit-bombay-s-bharatgen-to-build-1t-parameter-ai-model/story

India’s first trillion-parameter model to power next-gen AI apps

**India’s First Trillion-Parameter Model to Power Next-Gen AI Apps**
*By Mudit Dube | Sep 19, 2025, 05:18 PM*

**BharatGen Consortium Awarded ₹900 Crore to Build India’s Largest AI Model**

A government-backed consortium led by IIT Bombay, BharatGen, has been granted over ₹900 crore under the IndiaAI Mission to develop India’s first trillion-parameter large language model (LLM). This ambitious project aims to create a massive AI system that will serve as the foundation for building smaller, domain-specific models tailored for sectors such as law, agriculture, and finance.

**From a ‘Mother Model’ to Specialized AI Solutions**

Rishi Bal, Executive Vice President at BharatGen, explained that the trillion-parameter model is not intended for direct use by consumers. Instead, it will act as a “mother system” from which smaller, more efficient AI models can be distilled. These specialized models could include agricultural advisory tools available in regional languages or legal assistants trained on Indian case law, designed to meet the unique needs of various industries.

**Building a Sovereign Indian Dataset**

To ensure the AI reflects authentic Indian contexts, BharatGen is heavily investing in creating a sovereign dataset by aggregating diverse Indian content. The consortium is collaborating with publishers to license their archives and create comprehensive digital corpora. Additionally, they are providing free OCR (Optical Character Recognition) services to digitize regional texts and are employing crowdsourced annotation to capture the nuances of Indian languages and culture.

**Hardware Challenges and GPU Availability**

Training a trillion-parameter model requires thousands of GPUs running in parallel. Bal acknowledged the challenges in securing sufficient hardware and noted that BharatGen must wait for GPU supply like others in the field. The ₹900 crore government funding will act as a subsidy to help procure the necessary GPUs. Under the IndiaAI mission, around 40,000 GPUs have been allocated to various projects, including building India’s sovereign LLM models.

**Focus on Reliability and Real-World Applications**

Ganesh Ramakrishnan, CEO of BharatGen, emphasized that their priority is creating AI models grounded in Indian data and languages with a strong focus on reliability for real-world applications—not just raw scale. BharatGen plans to release distilled versions of the model to developers, enabling startups and enterprises to build AI-powered applications without the need to train colossal systems from scratch.

**Operational Structure and Future Plans**

BharatGen operates on a hub-and-spoke model with teams distributed across multiple locations in India. According to Bal, this approach helps bring together engineers, data scientists, and domain experts efficiently while keeping operations lean. Ramakrishnan also noted that BharatGen is exploring public-private partnerships and revenue models such as licensing smaller distilled models to sustain and expand the initiative.

This pioneering project marks a significant step toward India’s technological sovereignty in AI, promising customized and reliable solutions tailored for the country’s diverse sectors and languages.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/iit-bombay-s-bharatgen-to-build-1t-parameter-ai-model/story

Huawei co-develops safety-focused DeepSeek model to block politically sensitive topics

**Huawei Co-Develops Safety-Focused DeepSeek Model to Block Politically Sensitive Topics**

*By Akash Pandey | Sep 19, 2025, 06:45 PM*

Huawei, the Chinese tech giant, has announced the co-development of a modified version of the artificial intelligence (AI) model DeepSeek. The new variant, named **DeepSeek-R1-Safe**, is reported to be “nearly 100% successful” in censoring politically sensitive topics, aligning with China’s stringent regulations that require domestic AI models and applications to uphold “socialist values.”

### Training and Development

Huawei trained DeepSeek-R1-Safe using 1,000 of its own Ascend AI chips. The model is adapted from DeepSeek’s open-source R1 version and developed in collaboration with Zhejiang University, which is the alma mater of DeepSeek’s founder, Liang Wenfeng. However, neither DeepSeek nor Liang Wenfeng were directly involved in this latest project.

### AI and Political Sensitivity in China

Chinese AI chatbots, such as Baidu’s Ernie Bot—China’s counterpart to OpenAI’s ChatGPT—commonly avoid discussing domestic politics or sensitive topics. These limitations reflect the ruling Communist Party’s guidelines, aiming to control and manage online discourse.

### Model Efficiency and Performance

Huawei reports that DeepSeek-R1-Safe achieves an impressive success rate of nearly 100% in defending against “common harmful issues.” These issues include toxic speech, politically sensitive content, and incitement to illegal activities.

However, the model’s effectiveness drops to 40% when confronted with disguised behaviors such as scenario-based challenges, role-playing scenarios, or encrypted coding.

In comprehensive testing, DeepSeek-R1-Safe’s security defense capability reached 83%, outperforming several contemporary AI models—including Qwen-235B and DeepSeek-R1-671B—by 8% to 15% under identical conditions. Despite the enhanced safety features, the new model exhibited less than a 1% performance degradation compared to its predecessor, DeepSeek-R1.

Huawei’s development of DeepSeek-R1-Safe underscores the growing emphasis on AI safety and regulatory compliance in China’s technology sector, reflecting broader governmental priorities around information control and socialist values adherence.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/huawei-unveils-ai-model-deepseek-r1-safe-to-filter-politically-sensitive-content/story

Better to risk billions than fall behind in AI: Zuckerberg

**Better to Risk Billions Than Fall Behind in AI, Says Mark Zuckerberg**

*By Akash Pandey | Sept 19, 2025, 2:12 PM*

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reaffirmed his commitment to heavy investment in artificial intelligence (AI) research and development, emphasizing that the greater risk lies in not being aggressive enough rather than overspending.

**A Calculated Risk Amid an AI Bubble**

In a recent episode of the Access podcast, Zuckerberg acknowledged that an AI bubble is “quite possible.” However, he stressed that for Meta, the larger danger would be falling behind in the race to develop transformative AI technologies.

Zuckerberg highlighted the importance of preparing for the advent of superintelligence, warning that companies moving too slowly could find themselves at a significant disadvantage. He described superintelligence as potentially the most important technological breakthrough in history—one that will fuel new products, innovations, and economic value.

> “The risk, at least for a company like Meta, is probably in not being aggressive enough rather than being somewhat too aggressive,” Zuckerberg said.

**Massive Investment in Infrastructure**

To support this vision, Meta has committed to investing at least $600 billion in US data centers and infrastructure by 2028. This figure, revealed earlier this month and confirmed by Meta’s CFO Susan Li, covers data center expansions as well as broader investments in US business operations, including hiring.

**Balancing Growth with Caution**

Despite the massive financial commitment, Meta has recently slowed its recruitment pace after initially offering substantial signing bonuses to attract AI talent. This strategic caution comes amid concerns from Wall Street regarding Meta’s labor costs and the potential dilution of shareholder value through stock-based compensation without clear innovation outcomes.

**Sustainability and Market Position**

Zuckerberg contrasted Meta’s financial stability with other AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic, which rely heavily on fundraising to cover expensive compute costs. He asserted:

> “We’re not at risk of going out of business,” unlike these private companies whose futures depend on both AI progress and wider economic factors.

**Preparing for Superintelligence**

Looking ahead, Meta is consolidating its top AI researchers into a small, flat “superintelligence” lab that prioritizes research without rigid deadlines. Zuckerberg emphasized that the company aims to make “compute per researcher” a competitive edge by outspending rivals on GPUs and custom infrastructure necessary for frontier AI development.

Mark Zuckerberg’s vision underlines Meta’s commitment to leading the AI revolution—even if it means risking billions—to avoid falling behind in what he sees as a defining technological race of our time.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/risking-billions-on-ai-is-worth-the-gamble-zuckerberg/story

Babus, mantris & buzz: China’s Dams on Brahmaputra: AI Ambitions Behind Water Power?

**China’s Dams on Brahmaputra: AI Ambitions Behind Water Power?**

Speculation is growing in strategic circles that China’s rapid dam-building along the Brahmaputra and in Tibet may not be driven by hydropower needs alone. According to diplomatic sources, the energy generated from these projects could eventually feed massive data centers aimed at powering China’s AI revolution.

The scale of electricity required for such centers has prompted questions about Beijing’s infrastructural choices and long-term ambitions. Indian officials, aware of these developments, are said to have raised concerns with their Chinese counterparts. Quietly, New Delhi has also been sharing limited water-related information with close allies, including the United States, to alert them to the larger implications.

Sources suggest India fears that what appears to be a “run-of-the-river” hydropower initiative could, in reality, be laying the groundwork for AI-centric data infrastructure. While China has officially denied any diversionary intent, analysts point to the strategic coupling of water, energy, and technological power as part of Beijing’s future roadmap.

The Brahmaputra’s waters may thus be flowing into a much larger story—one that merges geopolitics, climate security, and the global contest for artificial intelligence dominance.

**India’s Security Apparatus Watches Pakistan’s Nuclear Pact with UAE Closely**

In a significant development, Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a formal mutual defense pact, marking a major deepening of their long-standing security partnership. The agreement commits both nations to enhanced defense cooperation and joint deterrence, with a declaration that any aggression against one will be treated as aggression against both. This move aims to bolster their regional and global security profile.

India’s security establishment is closely monitoring the development. Sources indicate that New Delhi has initiated high-level consultations to assess the pact’s strategic implications. According to senior officials, calls have already been made at the highest levels of government to evaluate how this renewed Riyadh-Islamabad security axis may alter the regional balance and affect India’s broader strategic interests.

### Bureaucracy Updates

**About 30 IAS Officers of 1995 Batch to be Empanelled**

Around 30 IAS officers from the 1995 batch are likely to be empanelled to the rank of Secretary in the Government of India. Currently, about 20 IAS officers from this batch are posted in the GoI.

**Addl Secretary Post Vacant in Higher Education Department**

Following the departure of Sunil Burnwal to the Ministry of Health, the position of Additional Secretary in the Department of Higher Education remains vacant.

**Renu Raj Receives Fulbright Scholarship**

Dr. Renu Raj, a 2015 batch Kerala cadre IAS officer, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study Public Health at Harvard University.

**Khushboo Goel Choudhary Proposed as Karnataka IT Secretary**

Khushboo Goel Choudhary is reportedly being strongly backed by Minister Priyank Kharge to become the next IT Secretary of Karnataka. She holds a degree in public policy from Harvard and is considered close to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh.

**Varun Kumar Shukla Selected as CMD, Hindustan Salts Ltd**

Varun Kumar Shukla, GM at Richardson & Cruddas Limited, has been selected as Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Hindustan Salts Limited. The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) held a meeting on September 17, 2025, during which seven candidates were interviewed.

**Manikumar Sivaramakrishnan Recommended for DMD, IFCI Ltd**

The name of Manikumar Sivaramakrishnan has been recommended for the position of Deputy Managing Director of IFCI Limited.

**Bipul Pathak Appointed as Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Delhi Govt**

Bipul Pathak, a 1992 batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed as the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary (Home), Government of Delhi.

**Ms. Manisha Sinha Returns to Parent Cadre**

Ms. Manisha Sinha, Additional Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, has been given premature repatriation to her parent cadre.

**VRS of Four Senior IRS Officers Accepted**

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has accepted the Voluntary Retirement Scheme applications of four senior IRS (C&IT) officers:

– Dr. J. Michael Kennedy, 1993 batch, Principal Additional Director General
– Ms. Sudha Koka, IRS (C&IT), 1995 batch, Principal Additional Director General
– Shaik Khader Rahman, IRS (C&IT), 1992 batch, Chief Commissioner
– Mrinal Chatterjee, 2018 batch, Deputy Director

**India’s Home Ministry Commissions Study on Protest Financing, Sops to Shield Internal Stability Expected**

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the Bureau of Police Research & Development to undertake an in-depth study of post-Independence protest movements, with a special focus on the period after 1974. The study aims to map reasons, patterns, outcomes, behind-the-scenes actors, and funding trails.

This effort, linked to the recent National Security Strategies Conference 2025 in New Delhi, will culminate in standard operating procedures (SOPs) to pre-empt mass agitations driven by vested interests. The mandate includes inter-agency coordination with financial intelligence and tax bodies to trace protest-linked money flows. Parallel frameworks will also be developed by central agencies to disrupt terror financing networks and tackle extremism-crime nexuses impacting public order and national security.

### Other Key Appointments and Developments

– **Hemant Kumar Das in Race for CMD, Coal India Ltd**
Hemant Kumar Das, ED (Projects) at Power Finance Corporation, is among the contenders for the post of Chairman-cum-Managing Director at Coal India Limited.

– **Mangesh Ghildiyal’s Tenure Extended as Deputy Secretary, PMO**
The central deputation tenure of Mangesh Ghildiyal, a 2012 batch IAS officer of the UD cadre working as Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, has been extended till March 31, 2026.

– **Ashok Kumar Appointed as Director, Consumer Affairs**
Ashok Kumar, a 2012 batch Indian Engineering Services officer, has been appointed Director in the Department of Consumer Affairs.

– **Raj Kumar Chaudhary Appointed Chairperson, JERC (J&K and Ladakh)**
Raj Kumar Chaudhary, retired Chairman and Managing Director of NHPC Limited, has been appointed Chairperson of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

*Disclaimer: The correctness of this content is the responsibility of the author. Published in arrangement with whispersinthecorridors.com.*
https://www.freepressjournal.in/corporate-gallery/babus-mantris-buzz-chinas-dams-on-brahmaputra-ai-ambitions-behind-water-power

5 epic behind-the-scenes facts that make ‘The Expanse’ amazing

By Vinita Jain | Sep 18, 2025 | 05:35 pm

**What’s the Story?**

*The Expanse* has been a fascinating watch, praised for its brilliant storytelling and realistic take on space exploration. While the on-screen drama keeps viewers hooked, some interesting behind-the-scenes facts make the show even more amazing. These insights offer a glimpse into the immense effort and creativity involved in creating this complex universe.

### 1. Realistic Space Physics in *The Expanse*

What truly makes *The Expanse* stand out is its commitment to realistic space physics. This level of authenticity is achieved through close collaboration with scientists, ensuring that zero gravity and space travel are portrayed accurately. From practical effects to innovative filming techniques, every element adds to the realism, making viewers feel as if they are truly inside the universe. This sets the show apart from many other science fiction series that often simplify these concepts.

### 2. Language Creation for Belter Creole

Language plays a significant role in the world-building of *The Expanse*. The show features a unique dialect called Belter Creole, spoken by the inhabitants of the asteroid belt. Renowned linguist Nick Farmer was hired to develop this language, carefully crafting its grammar and vocabulary. This linguistic creation enriches the cultural diversity of the series and highlights how language can evolve over time and in different environments.

### 3. Detailed Set Designs Reflecting Future Technology

The set design in *The Expanse* is another area where the show excels. Designers meticulously crafted environments that not only showcase futuristic technology but also remain functional and believable. Whether it’s the interior of a spaceship or a colony on a distant planet, every setting is designed with intricate attention to detail. These authentic backdrops not only enhance the visual appeal but also support the storytelling by providing immersive settings for character interactions.

### 4. Extensive Use of Practical Effects Over CGI

While CGI dominates modern television production, *The Expanse* stands out by extensively using practical effects wherever possible. This choice was made to maintain authenticity, as physical props often create more believable interactions between actors compared to digital effects alone. The show skillfully combines both practical techniques and CGI—especially in scenes involving stunts or explosions—ensuring an immersive viewing experience without sacrificing quality.

### 5. Collaboration Between Authors & Showrunners

The success of *The Expanse* largely stems from the collaboration between the original authors James S. A. Corey (the pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) and showrunners Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. Together, they adapted the novels into a compelling screenplay, weaving narrative threads across different media. This partnership ensured a faithful adaptation that respects the source material while expanding the lore, delivering a cohesive and engaging experience for fans.

*The Expanse* is more than just a sci-fi series; it’s a masterclass in thoughtful storytelling and meticulous production. These behind-the-scenes insights deepen our appreciation for the show’s dedication to authenticity and creativity.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/5-behind-the-scenes-facts-about-the-expanse/story

5 epic behind-the-scenes facts that make ‘The Expanse’ amazing

By Vinita Jain | Sep 18, 2025, 05:35 PM

**What’s the Story?**

*The Expanse* has been a fascinating watch, celebrated for its brilliant storytelling and realistic take on space exploration. While we love the intense drama unfolding on-screen, some interesting behind-the-scenes facts make the show even more amazing. These insights offer a glimpse into the effort, creativity, and craftsmanship involved in building this complex universe.

### 1. Realistic Space Physics in *The Expanse*

What truly makes *The Expanse* stand out is its commitment to realistic space physics, made possible through collaboration with scientists. This partnership ensures that elements like zero gravity and space travel are portrayed accurately. From practical effects to innovative filming techniques, every detail adds to the show’s realism, making viewers feel as if they are truly part of the universe. This level of authenticity sets it apart from many other science fiction shows that often simplify these aspects.

### 2. Language Creation for Belter Creole

Language plays an integral role in the world-building of *The Expanse*. The show features a unique dialect called Belter Creole, spoken by the inhabitants of the asteroid belt. Linguist Nick Farmer was hired to create this language, carefully designing its grammar and vocabulary to make it consistent and believable. This attention to linguistic detail enriches the cultural diversity of the series, demonstrating how language evolves based on environment and history.

### 3. Detailed Set Designs Reflecting Future Technology

Set design is another area where *The Expanse* excels. The production team meticulously crafted sets that showcase future technology while maintaining functionality and realism. From spaceship interiors to colonies on distant planets, each environment is thoughtfully designed with fine attention to detail. These authentic backdrops not only enhance the visual appeal but also support the storytelling by providing believable settings for character interactions.

### 4. Extensive Use of Practical Effects Over CGI

While CGI dominates modern television productions, *The Expanse* opts to use practical effects whenever possible. This creative choice enhances authenticity—physical props often produce more convincing interactions between actors than fully digital effects. The show skillfully integrates both practical effects and CGI, especially in sequences involving stunts or explosions, allowing viewers to stay immersed without compromising visual quality.

### 5. Collaboration Between Authors and Showrunners

The success of *The Expanse* is largely due to the close collaboration between authors James S. A. Corey (Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) and showrunners Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. Together, they adapted the novels into screenplays, weaving narrative elements across different media forms. This teamwork ensured a faithful adaptation of the source material while expanding the series’ lore, maintaining the spirit of the originals in a cohesive and engaging experience for fans.

*The Expanse* continues to impress not only through its on-screen storytelling but also through the thoughtful and dedicated efforts behind the scenes—making it a standout show in the realm of science fiction television.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/5-behind-the-scenes-facts-about-the-expanse/story

This AI predicts your disease risks 10 years in advance

### This AI Predicts Your Disease Risks 10 Years in Advance

**By Mudit Dube | Sep 18, 2025**

A team of scientists has developed a groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) tool capable of predicting an individual’s risk for over 1,000 diseases. The innovative system, dubbed **Delphi-2M**, can forecast health changes up to a decade in advance. The research, published in the journal *Nature*, highlights the potential of generative AI to model human disease progression on a large scale.

### How Delphi-2M Works

Delphi-2M uses algorithmic concepts similar to those found in large language models (LLMs). It predicts the likelihood of developing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory disorders by analyzing key “medical events” in a patient’s history—like diagnosis dates—and lifestyle factors, including obesity status, smoking or drinking habits, age, and sex.

The AI was trained on anonymized patient data from two major healthcare sources: the UK’s Biobank study, comprising 400,000 participants, and Denmark’s national patient registry, which includes 1.9 million patients.

### Potential Impact on Personalized Healthcare

Delphi-2M predicts health risks expressed as rates over time, much like weather forecasts. According to Ewan Birney, interim executive director of EMBL, patients could benefit from the tool within a few years. He envisions a future where clinicians use AI tools like Delphi-2M to identify major health risks early and suggest lifestyle changes to mitigate them.

This marks a significant step forward in personalized healthcare and disease prevention strategies.

### Advantages Over Existing Methods

Birney also emphasized Delphi-2M’s superiority compared to current risk assessment models such as Qrisk. Unlike single-disease models, Delphi-2M can assess multiple diseases simultaneously and provide predictions over an extended time frame.

The research team noted that Delphi-2M’s accuracy in predicting disease rates based on an individual’s past medical history rivals that of existing single-disease models.

### Future Prospects: Revolutionizing Healthcare with Generative Models

Professor Moritz Gerstung from the German Cancer Research Center described Delphi-2M as a major advancement in understanding human health and disease progression. He believes generative AI models like Delphi-2M could eventually personalize care and anticipate healthcare needs on a much larger scale.

This breakthrough underscores the transformative potential of AI tools in predicting individual health risks and enabling proactive healthcare management.

*Stay tuned for more updates on how AI is shaping the future of medicine and personalized health.*
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/delphi-2m-ai-tool-predicts-risk-of-over-1-000-diseases/story

Zuckerberg’s Meta glasses demo stumble recalls Jobs’ iPhone 4 fail

**Zuckerberg’s Meta Glasses Demo Stumble Recalls Jobs’ iPhone 4 Fail**
*By Mudit Dube | Sep 18, 2025, 01:16 PM*

At Meta Connect 2025, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a trio of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, showcasing exciting new features designed to enhance everyday life. However, the live demonstrations, including a cooking guide and a WhatsApp video call, faced unexpected technical difficulties.

During the cooking demo, Chef Jack Mancuso’s recipe instructions repeated incorrectly, causing confusion. The situation worsened when Zuckerberg’s video call with Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth failed, prompting Bosworth to join Zuckerberg live on stage instead. Meta cited Wi-Fi connectivity problems as the reason behind these glitches, bringing to mind a similar incident in tech history.

**A Look Back at Jobs’ Demo Disaster**

In 2010, Steve Jobs introduced FaceTime on the iPhone 4 with a highly anticipated live demonstration. However, the video call unexpectedly failed in front of millions of viewers worldwide. Despite the setback, Jobs remained composed and handled the situation with grace, instructing the audience to turn off Wi-Fi, which allowed the demo to proceed successfully.

This moment became iconic—not for the failure itself—but as a lesson in leadership and poise during live tech presentations. Jobs’ calm response set a high standard for handling real-time demo challenges.

*[Watch: How Jobs handled the live demo failure]*

**Tech Troubles Across Eras**

Zuckerberg’s Meta glasses demo underscores how even as technology evolves, live presentations remain vulnerable to real-world issues. Network interruptions, device glitches, and unforeseen technical problems can undermine even the most advanced products on stage.

Both Jobs’ and Zuckerberg’s experiences highlight the human side of technology launches. While Jobs’ poised handling is remembered as exemplary, Zuckerberg’s hiccups serve as a reminder that live demos are inherently unpredictable—even in today’s era of cutting-edge innovation.

In the end, these moments emphasize the importance of adaptability and resilience in delivering successful tech presentations.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/iphone-4-to-meta-glasses-when-live-tech-demos-fail/story

The incredible evolution of the ‘Jumanji’ franchise

**The Incredible Evolution of the ‘Jumanji’ Franchise**
*By Vinita Jain | Sep 18, 2025, 01:15 PM*

The *Jumanji* franchise has undergone an incredible transformation since its inception, reflecting shifts in technology and audience preferences over the years. Originally inspired by a children’s book, the story first came to life on the big screen in the mid-1990s. Since then, *Jumanji* has evolved from a magical board game concept into an immersive video game experience, showcasing changing trends in storytelling and cinematic technology in the U.S. film industry.

### The Original ‘Jumanji’ Film

Released in 1995, the original *Jumanji* movie starred Robin Williams and introduced audiences to a magical board game that could bring jungle adventures into reality. The film was notable for its innovative combination of live-action sequences with CGI effects, which was groundbreaking at the time. Its unique premise and captivating special effects won over audiences and set the foundation for future adaptations in the franchise.

### Transition to Video Game Format

In 2017, the franchise took a bold new direction with *Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle*, reimagining the board game as a video game. This shift resonated strongly with modern viewers who are familiar with gaming culture. The story focused on characters being sucked into the game as avatars, leading to fresh, humorous, and action-packed scenarios. This reinvention demonstrated how a franchise could evolve to stay relevant while preserving its core essence.

### Technological Advancements in Sequels

Following the success of *Welcome to the Jungle*, sequels like *Jumanji: The Next Level* expanded on advanced CGI and visual effects technology. These films utilized virtual environments and offered more detailed, dynamic scenes, enhancing viewer immersion. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, the sequels managed to stay appealing to younger audiences accustomed to high-quality digital content.

### Impact on Franchise Longevity

The evolution of *Jumanji* exemplifies how reimagining storylines and formats can extend the lifespan of a cinematic franchise. Transitioning from a traditional board game to an interactive video game on screen allowed the franchise to engage multiple generations and remain relevant in a continually evolving entertainment landscape. This adaptability underscores the importance of creativity in sustaining long-term success for film series like *Jumanji*.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/the-evolution-of-jumanji-in-the-us-cinema/story