Tech company CEO resigns after controversy over video captured at Coldplay concert
Andy Byron resigned from his job as CEO of Cincinnati-based Astronomer Inc., according to a statement posted on LinkedIn by the company on Saturday (July 19, 2025).
'Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met,' the company said in its post on LinkedIn.
The move comes a day after the company said that Mr. Byron had been placed on leave and the board of directors had launched a formal investigation into the jumbotron incident, which went viral. A company spokesman later confirmed in a statement to AP that it was Mr. Byron and Astronomer chief people officer Kristin Cabot in the video.
The short video clip shows Mr. Byron and Ms. Cabot as captured on the jumbotron at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, during a Coldplay concert on Wednesday (July 16, 2025).
Lead singer Chris Martin asked the cameras to scan the crowd for his 'Jumbotron Song,' when he sings a few lines about the people the camera lands on.
'Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy,' he joked.
Internet sleuths identified the man as the chief executive officer of a U.S.-based company and the woman as its chief people officer.
Pete DeJoy, Astronomer's cofounder and chief product officer, has been tapped as interim CEO while the company conducts a search for Byron's successor.
It's easy to miss, but most concert venues have signs informing the audience that they could be filmed during the event. Look for them on the walls when you arrive and around the bar areas or toilets. It's common practice especially when bands like to use performances for music videos or concert films.
The venue in this case, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, also has a privacy policy online which states: 'When you visit our location or attend or participate in an event at our location, we may capture your image, voice and/or likeness, including through the use of CCTV cameras and/or when we film or photograph you in a public location.'
'They probably would have got away with it if they hadn't reacted,' said Alison Taylor, a clinical associate professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. And by the time the alleged identities emerged on social media, it hit a classic nerve around 'leaders acting like the rules don't apply to them,' she added.
Still, Mr. Taylor and others stress how quickly such a video lead to an internet search to find the people involved — and note that it's important to remember that such 'doxing' isn't just reserved for famous people. Beyond someone simply spotting a familiar face and spreading the word, technological advances, such as the rising adoption of artificial intelligence, has made it easier and faster overall to find just about anyone in a viral video today.
'It's a little bit unsettling how easily we can be identified with biometrics, how our faces are online, how social media can track us — and how the internet has gone from being a place of interaction, to a gigantic surveillance system,' said Mary Angela Bock, an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and Media. 'When you think about it, we are being surveilled by our social media. They're tracking us in exchange for entertaining us.'
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Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for July 29, 2025. If you missed the July 28, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here GOVT & POLITICS India's 1st private test facility for heavy water upgrade opens Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc. What's the ongoing story: In a small but significant step towards speeding up the operationalisation of nuclear power plants, India's nuclear establishment has, for the first time, roped in private players to carry out a key process that was so far handled entirely in-house. 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Until now, the testing was done by the country's main nuclear research, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). • TEMA India inaugurated its test facility two days ago at Achchad in Palghar district, about 100 km north of Mumbai, where it will manufacture equipment such as distillation columns and integrate and test them before sending them to reactor sites for installation. • The Department of Atomic Energy said the facility was designed and built by TEMA India's nuclear vertical under technology transfer from BARC and a 'purchase order' from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL). • At the inauguration ceremony Saturday, TEMA India also dispatched the first batch of tested distillation column sections for deployment at Unit 8 of the Rawatbhata Nuclear Power Plant (RAPP-8) in Rajasthan, which is scheduled to go critical by December this year. 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While reservoirs can regulate floods, unannounced or sudden releases of water during heavy rainfall, or in a natural disaster like an earthquake, to protect the structure, can exacerbate downstream flooding, causing immense damage to life and property. • Third, this massive project involving tunnelling through fragile and young mountains is being undertaken in an area classified as Seismic Zone V (very high risk), which has seen major deep and shallow earthquakes in the past. 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Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍As Beijing prepares to build world's biggest hydropower dam, a look at the Yarlung Tsangpo River Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme: 📍The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is viewed as a cardinal subset of China's larger 'One Belt One Road' initiative. Give a brief description of CPEC and enumerate the reasons why India has distanced itself from the same. (UPSC CSE 2018) THE IDEAS PAGE A compass, not a verdict Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: • General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate. • General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: Syed Akbaruddin Writes: India must navigate litigation risks, enforcement gaps, and fossil fuel dilemmas; align duty with dignity. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the case here? • Why the case was initiated by Vanuatu? • How the ICJ's characterisation of climate change as an 'existential threat' represents a shift in international law and state responsibility? • What exactly the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has ruled? • What are the legal significance of the ICJ's advisory opinion on climate obligations? • What is the concept of 'internationally wrongful act' in the context of climate change? • How declaring a healthy environment a human right could influence domestic climate litigation and policy-making? • How can the ICJ opinion reshape geopolitics of climate finance, liability, and responsibility in forums like COP30? • What is International Court of Justice? • Does the International Court of Justice have the power to prosecute Israel? • International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice-Compare and Contrast Key Takeaways: Syed Akbaruddin Writes: • For once, a ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague is making waves in Hyderabad. In a rare instance of policy resonance, the advisory opinion on climate change delivered by the 15-judge panel of the ICJ on July 23 has sparked conversation far beyond decision-makers in India. • The case was initiated by Vanuatu, a Pacific island nation with a population of just 3,00,000. In March 2023, it led a coalition of small island states to secure consensual approval from the United Nations General Assembly to ask the ICJ two questions: What are states legally required to do to address climate change, and what are the consequences if they do not fulfil these duties? • Over 130 countries joined as co-sponsors. India did not join, but it did not oppose it either. This cautious posture reflects India's complex position in global climate diplomacy. • India's hesitation did not stem from disinterest. Rather, it reflected clear-eyed realism. As a developing nation still working to ensure universal access to electricity, healthcare, and employment, India undertakes a difficult balancing act. Unlike industrialised countries, India has not benefited from centuries of fossil fuel-powered growth. • Despite these constraints, India has taken ambitious climate actions. By 2030, it aims for half its electricity to come from renewables. Emissions intensity has declined, afforestation has expanded, and electric buses now run in several Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. • India leads the International Solar Alliance and the Mission LiFE campaign promoting sustainable consumption. During its G20 presidency, it ensured that climate finance remained in the global spotlight. Do You Know: • The case results from a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) at the initiative of Vanuatu, a small country in the Pacific Ocean located about 2,000 km northeast of Australia. Like several other small island states, Vanuatu is one of the most vulnerable countries, with its existence threatened by rising sea levels. • Vanuatu moved a proposal seeking an advisory opinion of the ICJ on climate change in September, 2021. It received support from a large number of countries, and eventually the UNGA, in March last year, adopted the resolution that was co-sponsored by 132 countries. • The resolution seeks answers to two specific questions. One, what are the obligations of the countries under international laws to protect the climate system. Two, what are the legal consequences under these obligations for countries that have caused harm to this climate system. • Although the 1994 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 2015 Paris Agreement are the two international laws that deal exclusively with climate change, there are several other legal instruments which are relevant to the issue. These include the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Charter itself. The UNGA resolution has sought the ICJ opinion on the climate obligations of countries in light of these, and other related, international laws. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍The Hague: Countries obliged to take climate action, liable for compensation if they don't Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme: 📍Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference? (2021) A just equilibrium Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues Mains Examination: General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein What's the ongoing story: Dr Ashwani Kumar Writes: The nation trusts the sagacity of the highest court to configure a just constitutional equilibrium of power so that the country's democratic order is not held hostage to the unfettered impulses of any single branch of the Indian state Key Points to Ponder: • Under which Article of the Constitution may the President refer questions to the Supreme Court for its opinion? • A Presidential Reference under Article 143(1) can be made on what? • What you know about the Tamil Nadu Governor judgment's rationale, especially the Court's use of implicit constitutional obligations on Governors? • Why President Droupadi Murmu had invoked the Supreme Court's advisory jurisdiction? • What is the advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court • What is article 143(1) of the Constitution? • Under Article 143(1) of the Constitution, the President may refer a 'question of law or fact' to the Supreme Court for its opinion—is the opinion given by the Supreme Court of India is binding? • Can the SC decline to answer a presidential reference? • Can the SC overturn its April 8 decision through the presidential reference? • What was the April 8 decision given by the Supreme Court? • In the Tamil Nadu v. 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Key Takeaways: Dr Ashwani Kumar Writes: • The upcoming hearing in the Supreme Court of the Presidential Reference arising from the Court's judgment in The State of Tamil Nadu vs The Governor of Tamil Nadu (2025) is of seminal constitutional significance. • The Court's advisory opinion, though not binding, will have significant persuasive value for the exercise of sovereign power by the states and the central government in the future. • In its adjudicatory decision, the Court has indicted the Tamil Nadu Governor for withholding assent for an unreasonably long time to bills passed by the Legislative Assembly. It held that his conduct was unconstitutional and it was permissible for the Court to read into the silences of the Constitution an implicit obligation on the Governor's part to exercise constitutional discretion reasonably and impartially. Relying on government circulars, the Court held that decisions by the Governor and the President concerning assent to bills are required to be taken within three months of the date of receipt of the government's recommendation for assent. • The judgment is unexceptionable for its constitutional logic as far as the Governor's conduct is concerned. However, the extension of the Court's reasoning to the exercise of presidential prerogatives and its suggestion to the President to seek the Court's advisory opinion 'when deciding on bills reserved by the Governor' is fraught and open to interrogation for judicial overreach. • Judicial intervention in policy choices of the government/Parliament and in the exercise of sovereign power, unless palpably malafide, has raised questions about the balance of constitutional power. The necessity of restraint in the exercise of judicial power has been reiterated by the Court in the Tamil Nadu case itself, holding that [in] 'the exercise of self-imposed restraint… courts do not venture into areas of governance in which the Constitution gives a prerogative solely to the executive.' Chief Justice B R Gavai, in his recent address at the Oxford Union, is reported to have endorsed a balanced exercise of judicial power. Do You Know: • On April 8, the Supreme Court had set a timeline for Governors to act on pending Bills, and for the first time, prescribed that the President should take a decision on the Bills reserved for consideration by the Governor within three months from the date on which such reference is received. Under Article 201 of the Constitution, no timeframe has been set for a Presidential decision. • Under Article 143(1) of the Constitution, the President may refer a 'question of law or fact' to the Supreme Court for its opinion. 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Social science, for example, is now taught as a single book covering history, geography, political science, and economics, replacing separate textbooks for each subject. New books for classes 9-12 are expected next. • The NEP aims to make pre-primary learning universal by 2030. NCERT's Jaadui Pitara learning kits are already in use, and the Women and Child Development Ministry has issued a national ECCE curriculum. • Delhi, Karnataka, and Kerala will soon enforce the minimum age of six for class 1 entry. 2023-24 data show a fall in class 1 enrolments to 1.87 crore from the 2.16 crore of previous year, likely due to this age cutoff. About 73% of those enrolled had attended some form of preschool. The big hurdles are better training for Anganwadi workers, and improving infrastructure and teaching quality in early education centres. • The NEP suggested the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC). This, and a National Credit Framework (NCrF) have been developed. 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What's the ongoing story: After days of deadly fighting, Cambodia and Thailand on Monday agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire'. The ceasefire was negotiated by Prime Ministers Hun Manet of Cambodia and Phumtham Wechayachai of Thailand at a meeting hosted by Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur. Key Points to Ponder: • Map Work-Thailand and Cambodia • What is the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand? • What triggered the recent escalation between Thailand and Cambodia recently? • What is Theravada-Buddhism? • 'At the centre of the border dispute is the Preah Vihear temple'-Know about temple's location, history and reason for dispute • How nationalism and cultural heritage rivalry played significant role in shaping foreign policy and conflict dynamics between Cambodia and Thailand? • What are the geopolitical implications of the conflict for regional stability in Southeast Asia and India's strategic interests? Key Takeaways: • Tensions between Cambodia and Thailand had been simmering since May, when they skirmished at a contested area of the border, leading to the death of a Cambodian soldier. • Nationalist rhetoric in both countries and a series of tit-for-tat actions followed. Cambodia banned the import of Thai fruits and broadcast of Thai films and soap operas; Thailand closed all land crossings. • Recently, Thailand withdrew its ambassador from Cambodia and expelled the Cambodian envoy after a Thai soldier lost a leg in a land mine blast. Thailand claimed the mine was laid by Cambodian troops in Thai territory. • Cambodia responded by downgrading diplomatic relations and recalling all Cambodian staff from its embassy in Bangkok. Clashes broke out at half a dozen places along the border between the Thai provinces of Surin and Sisaket, and Cambodian provinces of Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear. • Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military sites, and Cambodia responded with rocket and artillery fire. Exchanges of artillery and machine gun fire followed, in which at least 35 people were killed and more than 2.6 lakh civilians were displaced on both sides of the border, Reuters reported. Do You Know: • The 817-km land border between Cambodia and Thailand was drawn in 1907 by France, then the colonial power in Cambodia. Like many other borders drawn by colonial administrators, this too has long been disputed. • The two predominantly Theravada-Buddhist neighbours are more alike than any other country in the region, sharing ethnic and linguistic ties, social norms, culinary traditions, and cultural activities. But both claim to be the 'original' owners of their heritage. This is what drives the animosity between them. • The competing claims of cultural ownership are rooted in contesting readings of history, which, scholars say, are purposely propped up by governing elites of the two countries to strengthen their domestic positions. 'Countries fabricate history to celebrate their past, using nationalism as a political tool in the manipulation of public opinion… It is evident that contemporary Thai-Cambodian relations have become a casualty of the remade past,' wrote Charnvit Kasetsiri, Pou Sothirak and Pavin Chachavalpongpun in Preah Vihear: A Guide to the Thai-Cambodian Conflict and Its Solutions (2013). • At the centre of the border dispute is the Preah Vihear temple, which is called Phra Viharn in Thai. 'The temple has meaning — both as a cultural symbol and a religious place of worship — to people on both sides of the border,' John D Ciorciari, a professor of international politics at Indiana University, wrote in his 2009 paper 'Thailand and Cambodia: The Battle for Preah Vihear'. • Preah Vihear temple is the most famous of many disputed sites at the Cambodia-Thailand border which hold cultural significance for both countries. Another such temple, called Prasat Ta Moan Thom by the Cambodians and Prasat Ta Muen Thom by the Thai, witnessed fighting during the recent hostilities. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Thailand, Cambodia agrees on ceasefire deal after five days of battle Power of rebasing: How Nigeria's GDP jumped from No. 58 to No. 55 in a day Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests. What's the ongoing story: Until July 20, Nigeria was the 58th largest economy in the world. A day later, it rose three spots to the 55th rank, overtaking Ukraine, Qatar, and Hungary in the process as it added more than $50 billion, or roughly 30 per cent of its GDP, in 2024. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the concept of GDP rebasing? • What is the GDP base year? • Why GDP base year is rebased? • How can changing the base year impact nominal GDP figures? • What are the pros and cons of GDP rebasing exercises? • What is the base year for the GDP, IIP and CPI? • What are the considerations for the new base year? • How is a base year chosen? Key Takeaways: • On July 21, Nigeria's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) published the results of its GDP rebasing exercise, which saw the base year of the indicator being updated to 2019 from 2010, among other changes. The result? Nigeria's GDP in 2024 is now estimated at $243 billion in nominal terms, up from $187 billion forecast by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). • A new base year – which essentially means measurement of GDP, or the final value of goods and services in any particular year, with respect to the prices prevailing in that year – does not automatically lead to a larger economy. However, Nigeria's base-year revision exercise included other more meaningful changes in the manner in which the African nation calculates the GDP. • This included increasing the scope of its methodology to include previously undercounted sectors such as digital services, pension fund operations, and e-commerce activities, among others, in what the NBS has called 'by far the most comprehensive rebasing' it has ever carried out. As the NBS said, technological development, structural changes, and changes in production and consumption patterns mean 'the methods and data used in estimating GDP must change with the times to reflect current economic realities'. • This is not the first time Nigeria has seen such a huge increase in its GDP due to the base year revision. More than a decade ago, change in the base year from 1990 to 2010 had helped propel Nigeria to the position of Africa's largest economy thanks to an even-larger 89 per cent increase in the GDP to $510 billion in 2014. Do You Know: • While the rebasing brings Nigeria $50 billion closer to achieving the government's target of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030, the objective is well-nigh impossible after the Nigerian currency, the naira, was devalued sharply in 2023 and 2024. The result was that the naira fell by 49 per cent against the US dollar in 2023 and another 41 per cent in 2024. • The GDP rebasing also brought into spotlight changes in the Nigerian economy that will not make for happy reading. One, the share of agriculture in the country's GDP had increased to almost 26 per cent in 2019 from 22 per cent estimated earlier, while that of industry declined sharply to 21 per cent from 27.65 per cent. Two, the contribution of the informal sector to the GDP has increased to 42.5 per cent from 41.4 per cent. • India, of course, is no stranger to GDP revisions; in fact, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is currently in the process of updating the GDP base year to 2022-23 from 2011-12. The rebased GDP numbers will be released in February 2026. • The last time India's key macroeconomic indicator underwent a major revision was in 2015, when questions were raised about the accuracy of the numbers even by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after the GDP growth rate for 2013-14 was initially revised upwards to 6.9 per cent from 4.7 per cent, prompting Raghuram Rajan – then the governor – to comment that the Indian central bank found it 'hard to see the economy as rollicking in 2013-2014'. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Why govts revise GDP base year and methodology, why the proposed 2026 revision matters for India's global standing Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme: 📍Explain the difference between computing methodology of India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before the year 2015 and after the year 2015. (2021) ECONOMY EU trade talks: India to offer regulatory certainty in manufacturing to woo FDI Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: In the first such offer made during trade deal negotiations, India is working on a 'new chapter' aimed at extending long-term regulatory certainty in the domestic manufacturing sector to attract investment from the European Union (EU), The Indian Express has learnt. Key Points to Ponder: • Define 'regulatory certainty' in the context of FDI. • Why offering 'regulatory certainty' in manufacturing can help India attract EU investments? • Know the rationale behind India and the EU sharing concerns about China's manufacturing overcapacity. • What constraints or conditions is India proposing along with 100% FDI in manufacturing sectors under the EU deal? • How India's 2016 termination of its BITs impacted investor confidence? • Know the strategic significance of including non-services (manufacturing) investment chapter in the India EU FTA. Key Takeaways: • This comes in the backdrop of shared concerns between India and the EU over Chinese overcapacity, which is viewed as a threat to domestic manufacturing of critical products such as pharmaceuticals, electronics and defence requirements, among others. • 'In the EU deal, one of the new chapters that has come in is about investment in non-services, which is a new element where they (EU) are looking at certainty on the commitments for FDI in non-services sectors — basically the manufacturing sector,' a senior government official said. 'There are two parts to it. One is deciding on sectors where India will allow 100 per cent FDI. • Second, there are a number of conditions on things such as 'local employment', 'local value addition', 'use of local raw materials' and conditions around whether there will be local partners and joint ventures or not,' the official said. • This comes as India has begun seeking to attract investments from Western countries in exchange for lowering tariffs on key sectors. For instance, India has allowed 100 per cent FDI in telecom for the UK under the trade deal. In the insurance sector, the FDI ceiling has been kept at 74 per cent, providing investment certainty for UK insurers. A similar strategy was followed in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) deal. Do You Know: • India and the four-nation EFTA — an intergovernmental grouping comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland — signed a trade pact in March 2024, under which EFTA countries have committed to investing $100 billion in India over a 15-year period. However, officials indicated that the investment chapter in the EU deal would be far more extensive and legally robust. • India and the EU have both been facing several challenges, particularly in the renewable energy sector. Another government official told The Indian Express that the Indian industry has been encountering pricing challenges, especially while trying to scale up the solar energy sector, and that India will have to work with 'Western countries' to achieve competitiveness and tackle the China challenge. • According to a parliamentary report released last year, the EU is concerned about China's dominance in critical technologies, as China holds a leading global manufacturing position in several areas, exposing the EU to potential risks. The EU has said these sectors include raw or processed materials for robotics, as well as clean technologies including solar PV wafers, EV batteries and wind turbine blades. • An EU trade deal status report earlier this month stated that India and the EU had made substantial progress on the text dealing with 'services and investment', marking a significant step forward towards concluding the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that both sides aim to sign by the end of the year. • The EU report also noted that negotiators had made substantial progress on the investment text, and that they had also made very good progress on rules for state-to-state mediation. Progress on dispute settlement is significant, as it suggests a breakthrough on long-standing EU concerns regarding investment protection in India. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India, EU look to seal trade deal this year, Trump keeps markets reeling Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme: 📍The expansion and strengthening of NATO and a stronger US-Europe strategic partnership works well for India. What is your opinion about this statement? Give reasons and examples to support your answer. (2023) PRELIMS ANSWER KEY 1.(b) For any queries and feedback, contact Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Priya Kumari Shukla is a Senior Copy Editor in the Indian Express (digital). She contributes to the UPSC Section of Indian Express (digital) and started niche initiatives such as UPSC Key, UPSC Ethics Simplified, and The 360° UPSC Debate. The UPSC Key aims to assist students and aspirants in their preparation for the Civil Services and other competitive examinations. It provides valuable guidance on effective strategies for reading and comprehending newspaper content. The 360° UPSC Debate tackles a topic from all perspectives after sorting through various publications. The chosen framework for the discussion is structured in a manner that encompasses both the arguments in favour and against the topic, ensuring comprehensive coverage of many perspectives. Prior to her involvement with the Indian Express, she had affiliations with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as well as several coaching and edutech enterprises. In her prior professional experience, she was responsible for creating and refining material in various domains, including article composition and voiceover video production. She has written in-house books on many subjects, including modern India, ancient Indian history, internal security, international relations, and the Indian economy. She has more than eight years of expertise in the field of content writing. Priya holds a Master's degree in Electronic Science from the University of Pune as well as an Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, widely recognised as one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She is also an alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia University Residential Coaching Academy (RCA). Priya has made diligent efforts to engage in research endeavours, acquiring the necessary skills to effectively examine and synthesise facts and empirical evidence prior to presenting their perspective. Priya demonstrates a strong passion for reading, particularly in the genres of classical Hindi, English, Maithili, and Marathi novels and novellas. Additionally, she possessed the distinction of being a cricket player at the national level. Qualification, Degrees / other achievements: Master's degree in Electronic Science from University of Pune and Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta ... Read More
Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
A sci-fi universe built using AI: Shekhar Kapur announces new series ‘Warlord'. Check plot and other details
Sci-Fi, Romance, and Fantasy in a New-Age Universe New Model of Shared IP and Open-Source Creation AI as an Equalizing Tool in Storytelling Veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has announced his latest venture, a science fiction series titled Warlord, created entirely using generative AI. The project, developed in collaboration with Mumbai-based AI filmmaking company Studio Blo, signals a bold step into the future of digital who will take on the roles of writer, director, and producer, has described Warlord as a blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. At the heart of the series lies a central question: 'Can love exist across dimensions?' The teaser released for the series offers a glimpse into this narrative with surreal imagery, including a jellyfish-like spaceship hovering over an alien world, a luminous woman dissolving into energy, and a mysterious figure watching events to a media statement, beyond its storyline, the project is also being positioned as the cornerstone of a much larger initiative. Kapur revealed that Warlord is the starting point of a shared cinematic universe, or what he refers to as a "living universe." The intention is to open up this universe to creators globally, encouraging them to contribute and build upon an unconventional move, Kapur and Studio Blo plan to make production designs and character assets from the series publicly accessible. Creators from across the world will be allowed to incorporate these elements into their own stories and projects, provided they pay a nominal fee of one cent per use and agree to release their adaptations as open-source content. This initiative aims to democratize access to high-quality production assets while fostering a culture of collaborative a media statement, Dipankar Mukherjee, Co-Founder and CEO of Studio Blo, highlighted how Kapur's vision pushed their boundaries. According to him, the proposal involved multiple technical and creative challenges, from building an entire series using generative AI to implementing a decentralized intellectual property model. He said it led the team to reevaluate not just their tools but also their storytelling emphasized that artificial intelligence in filmmaking can level the playing field for independent creators, enabling them to compete with big-budget studios. He sees Warlord not just as a show, but as a platform where creators worldwide can collaborate, remix, and contribute to an evolving narrative world unrestricted by traditional production filmmaker, who has directed acclaimed films such as Masoom, Mr. India, Bandit Queen, Elizabeth, and The Four Feathers, is currently serving as the festival director of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). His venture into AI-led storytelling marks a new chapter in his career, showcasing his willingness to embrace innovation while encouraging a more open and inclusive creative Warlord teaser, jointly released by Kapur and Studio Blo, offers only a brief look at what's to come.
