Hema Thakur: Journey from Editing to Researching in Academia
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
'Oh wow! I had no idea this job existed,' she remembers saying — and that moment sparked a journey that's now lasted over a decade.
Hema began as an editor in the business and economics division, polishing manuscripts that would go on to be published in top journals. Over time, she moved into the quality and training side of things, spotting the subtle choices that shaped both client satisfaction and editorial standards.
Today, she mentors new editors, drawing from her own winding path.
The shift to remote work during the pandemic gave Hema new exposure. She began leading virtual sessions for researchers from institutes like the University of Columbia and Puerto Rico — a first for her. 'That was when I saw how similar our struggles were: researchers were trying to find their voice and editors trying to help shape it,' she reflects.
Once travel resumed, Hema began visiting campuses and engaging with early-career researchers.
'I had this image of researchers as distant intellectuals. But in person, they seemed just like me — curious, questioning, and figuring it out,' she says. That experience inspired her to start exploring research herself.
She began writing on everything from inflation and income inequality to how AI can help people with cognitive disabilities understand peer reviews. Her essays and research found homes on platforms like Editage Insights, SAGE Social Science Space, and the European Association of Science Editors.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Over time, Hema's perspective shifted. 'I started seeing the world through the eyes of academic authors, our clients. Even small daily observations felt like research questions waiting to be asked,' she says. This mindset helped her reframe her work: more experiment, less outcome-chasing.
She also began drawing inspiration from unexpected places. A video about how confirmation bias affected a pilot's judgement led her to explore how similar bias affects editors.
A fun trivia fact — that the roll-on deodorant was inspired by the ballpoint pen — sparked a metaphor she now uses in sessions to explain AI: 'Technology is great at spotting patterns and quickly uncovering how ideas have been applied elsewhere, but applying this to our unique situation? That's still on us.
'
Now, as someone who has worked, researched, and taught in this space, Hema sees one constant running through it all: curiosity. 'Dots do connect, but only in hindsight,' she says. 'The only thing we can do is stay curious and keep asking questions.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
New bill riles online gaming; De minimis blow to Indian exports
New bill riles online gaming; De minimis blow to Indian exports Want this newsletter delivered to your inbox? Also in the letter: Cabinet approves bill to ban real money in online games Driving the news: But why? According to the draft note presented to the Cabinet, the unchecked rise of online money games has led to 'addiction, debt traps, suicides and mental health issues.' The government also flagged fraud risks and national security threats linked to these platforms. At the same time, the note suggests that bringing online gaming and e-sports under a legal framework will enable healthier growth for the sector. Fallout: Regulator on the cards: Also Read: US rocks boat of cross-border payment firms Driving the news: Gauging impact: The change will weigh heavily on small and micro sellers who relied on tariff-free entry to stay price-competitive and lack the resources to handle higher duties and complex paperwork. Regulatory scrutiny: Is India ready to take the AI leap, build its own ChatGPT? This and more at the ET Soonicorns Summit 2025! Tell me more: Kissht files draft papers for public listing Key details: Fresh issue: Rs 1,000 crore Rs 1,000 crore Offer for sale: 8.8 million shares 8.8 million shares Selling shareholders: Vertex Ventures, Ventureast, Endiya Seed, Aion Advisory Services Vertex Ventures, Ventureast, Endiya Seed, Aion Advisory Services Pre-IPO placement: Rs 200 crore Use of proceeds: Peer review: Financial snapshot: Operational revenue: fell 20% to Rs 1,337 crore fell 20% to Rs 1,337 crore Net profit: dropped 19% to Rs 160 crore dropped 19% to Rs 160 crore Loan disbursals: slumped 47% to Rs 9,857 crore Manufacturing supply chain startup Keychain raises $30 million Snapshot: Tell me more: Weaver raises Rs 1,482 crore for housing finance push Why it matters: India's housing finance market remains under-penetrated, especially in smaller towns where formal credit is scarce. Weaver is betting on AI-driven underwriting and alternative data to speed up approvals and limit risk. Investor insight: Filter Capital, 3one4 back D2C brand R for Rabbit in $27 million deal Adding context: India's baby care market is expanding quickly as rising incomes and awareness drive demand for safer, high-quality products. The brand plans to use the fresh capital to expand distribution, accelerate its omnichannel play, and push product innovation. Bullish investors: Other Top Stories By Our Reporters Enterprise sales success hinge on value: Mumbai rains disrupt deliveries: India eyes .Bharat, .India domains next year: Global Picks We Are Reading Happy Wednesday! A new bill proposing a ban on real-money games ruffles industry feathers. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch.■ Kissht DRHP■ ETtech Done Deals■ Enterprise tech salesThe Union Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a draft bill to regulate India's booming online gaming and e-sports industry. With Cabinet approval secured, the bill is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on bill marks a decisive move to prohibit real-money online gaming. It introduces sweeping measures – banning not only the games themselves, but also ads promoting them and financial transactions enabling such startups have written to the country's home minister Amit Shah, saying that the bill could be a 'death knell' for the sector. The letter, reviewed by ET, claims that over 200,000 skilled jobs are at risk, and that the sector has attracted Rs 25,000 crore in foreign direct investment across 400+ also said the government could lose Rs 20,000 crore in taxes if a blanket ban goes bill also proposes a new regulatory authority to oversee online gaming. This body will register games, flag real-money formats, and replace the self-regulatory framework the IT ministry had floated in ecommerce exporters face a sharp hit after the US scrapped a rule that let shipments worth under $800 enter Trump 2.0 administration's sweeping tariff changes are beginning to bite Indian industries, particularly ecommerce. Founders of cross-border payment startups say the blow could erase 15–25% of ecommerce volumes headed to the insiders estimate that nearly 40% of Indian goods shipped to the US used the de minimis exemption to avoid import duties and payments remained lightly regulated in India until 2023, when the Reserve Bank introduced detailed reforms. These rules set a minimum capital requirement of Rs 15 crore and a licensing criteria for players entering the such as Skydo, PayGlocal, and BriskPe are now awaiting RBI clearance to fully launch ET Soonicorns Summit is back, all set to do what it does best —mapping the future of Indian startups! The 2025 edition brings artificial intelligence (AI) to centre stage, with important discussions including: Can India build its own ChatGPT or DeepSeek?Listen in to the likes of Vishnu Vardhan, cofounder and CEO of Hanooman AI; Sandeep Alur, CTO, Microsoft Innovation Hub, Microsoft India, Shalini Kapoor, strategic advisor, data & AI, EKStep; Vikram Sampath, cofounder NAAV AI; Ankush Sabhrwal, founder and CEO and CTO of CoRover AI, and Debayan Dasgupta, cofounder of Theranautilus, as they decipher this important question and decode the Indian startup ecosystem's AI-led future in the global GenAI race and the country's unique definitive answers to where investors are betting to put their money. The panel 'AI investments in India—chasing hype or backing real disruption' will decipher what kind of AI models are attracting VCs who are writing cheques for ambitious AI startup founders, separating hype from real problem-solving potential and sharing insights on AI infrastructure panel will feature Rutvik Doshi, MD and general partner, Athera Venture Partners; Manav Garg, cofounder and managing partner, Together Fund; Sanjay Swamy, managing partner and cofounder, Prime Venture Partners; and Manish Singhal, founding partner, pi Ventures, brainstorming to find the answers.(L-R) Krishnan Vishwanathan and Ranvir Singh, cofounders, KisshtOnEMI Technology Solutions, the operator of fintech lending platform Kissht, has filed draft papers with the markets regulator for its initial public offering Kissht plans to channel Rs 750 crore from the net IPO proceeds into its in-house non-banking finance company (NBFC), Si Creva. The balance will go towards general corporate is among the first digital lending startups to reach this stage. Moneyview is also preparing its filing, while Kreditbee, as ET reported on July 23, secured board approval to convert into a public limited company ahead of an company's business was hit by a slowdown in consumer lending in FY25, as we reported.(From left) Keychain founders Jordan Weitz, Oisin Hanrahan and Umang DuaKeychain, a New York and Gurgaon-based manufacturing supply chain startup, has raised $30 million in a funding round led by Wellington Management, with participation from BoxGroup and in 2024, the company connects consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies with suppliers of packaging materials and raw inputs. Its client list already includes 7-Eleven, Whole Foods, Hershey's, and General fresh capital will fuel Keychain's push into new markets and industries, while also backing the development of its AI-native enterprise resource planning platform, KeychainOS. Designed to be deployed faster than traditional ERP tools, the system will sit at the heart of the company's growth strategy, founder Umang Dua told Bhattacharya, founder, Weaver ServicesWeaver Services, a new housing finance platform, has raised $170 million (Rs 1,482 crore) in a funding round led by Lightspeed and Premji Invest, with Gaja Capital also participating. The fresh funding will be used to fund these buys, extend market reach, and strengthen its technology by former HDFC executive Satrajit Bhattacharya and veteran Anil Kothuri, Weaver's deal ranks among the largest recent bets on affordable housing finance in India.D2C baby care brand R for Rabbit has secured $27 million in a funding round led by Filter Capital and 3one4 Capital. The mix of primary and secondary capital investment also facilitated an exit for early investor Xponentia Capital, which had pumped in Rs 40 crore in deal highlights growing investor interest in niche consumer brands with clear category leadership and scale technology companies are seeing a shift in sales with customers expecting them to demonstrate clear value for investments amid rising competition and macroeconomic uncertainty amid rising adoption of AI, multiple executives told delivery and quick commerce platforms suspended operations for several hours in areas experiencing severe waterlogging, while delivery partners demanded an increase in the rain fee from Rs 20 to Rs Internet Exchange of India (Nixi), the nodal agency managing the country code top-level domains, is looking to secure '.India' and '.Bharat' domains at the next new generic top-level domain (gTLD) auction slated to open next year, chief executive Devesh Tyagi told us.■ OpenAI is poised to become the most valuable startup ever. Should it be? ( Wired ■ Nvidia said to be developing new, more powerful AI chip for sale in China ( Techcrunch ■ How North Korea's IT army is hacking the global job market ( Axios
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
71% of Americans see a jobless future losing to AI: Will Gen Z ever find stable jobs?
The American workforce may be staring at its biggest disruption since the Industrial Revolution. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll has revealed that 71% of Americans believe artificial intelligence (AI) will cause 'too many people to be permanently unemployed,' fueling fears that the technology could erase jobs faster than it creates them. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The poll, conducted over six days and released on August 19, 2025, surveyed 4,446 adults and carries a margin of error of two percentage points. Its findings show widespread concern that AI is not merely another workplace tool but a force that could fundamentally reshape careers, industries, and even the social fabric of the country. For Gen Z—students and young professionals entering the job market—the implications are stark. They may be stepping into the most uncertain employment landscape in decades. Low unemployment, high anxiety Official numbers suggest stability. The US unemployment rate was 4.2% in July, a relatively low figure by historical standards. Yet the Reuters/Ipsos poll shows a growing perception gap: even as jobs exist today, Americans fear the long-term erosion of work opportunities due to AI. Unlike earlier waves of automation that primarily affected manufacturing and manual labor, AI threatens knowledge work—jobs in law, journalism, customer service, finance, and even medicine. These are the careers many Gen Z students are currently training for. 'People are not just worried about layoffs,' Reuters reported. 'They are worried that the work itself could vanish.' Democracy, security, and the human cost The survey also revealed anxieties that stretch far beyond the job market: Political Stability: 77% of Americans are worried about AI destabilising politics. One flashpoint was an AI-generated video showing former President Barack Obama being 'arrested' by Donald Trump. Though fake, the clip spread widely online, underscoring the potential of AI to blur the line between truth and manipulation in an election year. 77% of Americans are worried about AI destabilising politics. One flashpoint was an AI-generated video showing former President Barack Obama being 'arrested' by Donald Trump. Though fake, the clip spread widely online, underscoring the potential of AI to blur the line between truth and manipulation in an election year. Military Risks: Nearly half of respondents (48%) oppose the use of AI to determine military targets. Only 24% supported such deployment, reflecting discomfort with machines making life-and-death decisions. Nearly half of respondents (48%) oppose the use of AI to determine military targets. Only 24% supported such deployment, reflecting discomfort with machines making life-and-death decisions. Energy Demands: 61% expressed concern over the energy consumption of AI systems, which require vast computing power and could exacerbate climate challenges. 61% expressed concern over the energy consumption of AI systems, which require vast computing power and could exacerbate climate challenges. Human Relationships: Two-thirds of Americans worry people might begin to prioritize AI 'companions' over real human connections. With AI chatbots and virtual partners already on the market, this fear no longer belongs solely to the realm of science fiction. These concerns highlight AI's disruptive potential not just as an economic force but as a societal disruptor. Education in the crosshairs Education is emerging as a key battleground in the AI debate. According to the Reuters/Ipsos poll: 40% believe AI will harm learning outcomes, 36% think it will improve education, and 24% remain undecided. This split mirrors the uncertainty faced by students who wonder if their degrees will still hold value in a job market reshaped by algorithms. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Gen Z graduates, many of whom already juggle student debt, are asking whether they are preparing for roles that could soon be automated out of existence. The Gen Z dilemma For Gen Z, the AI question is not abstract—it's deeply personal. This generation is already grappling with rising housing costs, inflation, and gig-based employment structures. Now, they must also consider whether AI will undercut their chances at stable, long-term careers. Some experts argue that history offers hope. Just as the internet revolution created industries that were unimaginable in the 1990s, AI could give rise to new roles—from AI ethics officers to digital trust managers and climate-tech innovators. But as the Reuters report makes clear, most Americans aren't convinced that new opportunities will outweigh the losses. The specter of permanent unemployment looms larger than the promise of new industries. The road ahead What does this mean for policymakers, educators, and employers? The Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests three urgent takeaways:
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Enterprise sales success now depends on how much value you can show
ETtech Enterprise technology companies are seeing a shift in sales with customers expecting them to demonstrate clear value for investments with competition and macroeconomic uncertainty rising on adoption of AI, according to multiple executives ET spoke addition, with AI changing transforming businesses, large customers are expecting more from technology providers, from focused to large-scale solutions to help with the accelerating technological change, they added. Anand Subbaraman, CEO, Icertis, an end-to-end contract lifecycle management company, said most of their sales are now becoming more proof-of-concept centric than request-for-proposals (RFP) they had seen earlier. AI is becoming the single largest catalyst of change for companies even amid challenging macroeconomic uncertainty. A March 2025 report from McKinsey highlighted that enterprises are starting to make organisational changes to generate value from generative AI. This is led by companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue compared to smaller a result, while enterprises continue to invest in AI, they expect more bang for the buck from enterprise technology. According to a report from Mordor Intelligence, a market research platform, the global enterprise AI market stood at $97 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $229 billion, growing at a CAGR of 18.9%. From RFPs to PoCs Srikanth Velamakanni, group chief executive, Fractal Analytics, told ET in an earlier interaction, that the way of selling is changing. He said that there is no point doing RFPs because, even AI can do this, and the whole point is demonstrating are no longer looking at the PowerPoints and expect firms to show them with their data how a product or solution is working for them. '(You need to) Show it as quickly as possible, establish relevance because if you have done it for healthcare and tell them you can do the same for financial services, it does not work,' he said. This means that it is not just enough for companies to show how a product is working but they need to demonstrate how this solution is specifically helping them. Another industry executive, on the condition of anonymity, said, 'Say you are going to a bank that wants to cross sell products like personal loans to newly married couples, which they are not doing successfully. You show them how you are solving this particular problem on their own website, and how you will implement it. That is where the enterprise sales are going now.''The expectation the clients have is that with so much AI and information available, come and talk to me about things that matter to me,' the executive said. Challenges 'Any macroeconomic uncertainty will lead to freezing and we are now in high macroeconomic uncertainty. But on the other hand, the urgency in AI is very high. So, the net result is that they are actually moving faster,' said Subbaraman said they are seeing growth in markets and specific industries, while some of their industries saw an impact such as the public sector markets in the US due to DOGE. 'That was a slowdown which we are coming out of now. We are seeing tariff affected industries in Europe like the automotive sector being a little slower. AI is actually a tailwind,' he its DRHP filing in June, Capillary Technologies highlighted that by adopting Gen AI, its customers may develop in-house capabilities that could impact the extent to which customers rely on us and reduce their need for our services. The company also highlighted rising challenges in retaining enterprise customers. The firm lost three customers in FY23, and one each in FY24 and FY25. In the case of large enterprise customers, it is facing competition from firms that offer similar services targeting enterprise customers as they cut costs, restructuring and develop products to questions about the impact of AI on IT and enterprises, Peter Bendor-Samuel, executive chairman, Everest Group, said that pricing has started to significantly decline and this is driven largely by firms taking an aggressive stance with using AI. 'There is less discretionary spending, and while some of this is due to the economic uncertainty some of it is being driven by firms pivoting to new AI tools and AI services.' Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Hacking, ransom, lawsuits: Why social engineering is TCS, Cognizant's latest headache Govt easing policies to boost growth; when will industry play ball? Can new shipping laws bury the ghost of British legacy? How IDBI banker landed plush Delhi properties in Amtek's INR33k crore skimming Stock Radar: M&M hits fresh record high in August 2025; time to buy or book profits? Weekly Top Picks: These stocks scored 10 on 10 on Stock Reports Plus F&O Radar | Deploy Bull Call Spread in Nifty to play index reversal Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of more than 20% in 1 year
