Rethinking Tech

By Rethinking Tech

The news often gives us a narrow, surface-level view of what’s happening in the tech world. We help you go deeper by connecting today’s events to the past, helping you zoom out to see the bigger pictu... more

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FAQs about Rethinking Tech:

How many episodes does Rethinking Tech have?

The podcast currently has 163 episodes available.

Rethinking Tech episodes:

April 24, 2026Is Elon Musk Claiming Space? The Politics of 1 Million Satellites
SpaceX reportedly wants to put 1 million satellites into orbit.
That may sound like a story about connectivity, scale, or ambition. But it could be something much bigger.
In this episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda explore what happens when orbital infrastructure starts to look less like innovation and more like power projection. If one company fills the skies first, does it gain more than market share? Does it gain leverage over access, standards, and the future rules of space?
This conversation looks at the growing overlap between space infrastructure, geopolitics, private power, and regulation — and asks whether we are watching the early stages of a new kind of territorial grab, only this time above Earth.
What this episode explores
SpaceX’s reported plan for 1 million satellites
Why this is about more than light pollution or astronomy
How orbit could become a kind of toll road
Whether private companies may end up shaping the rules of space before governments do
What this means for internet access, sovereignty, and global power
Why this matters
Space is no longer just a scientific frontier.
It is becoming infrastructure.
And whoever controls infrastructure often ends up influencing far more than technology.
About Rethinking Tech
Rethinking Tech explores the intersection of technology, geopolitics, business, and ethics — focusing on how systems actually work, not just how they’re talked about.
...more
8min
April 23, 2026Is Death An Acceptable Cost? Like Big Auto, Big Tech May Think So.
Ford once calculated the cost of human lives — and decided it was cheaper to let people die.
That story should feel like history.
It doesn’t.
In this x10 episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda break down the Ford Pinto case and why its logic still shows up across the modern tech industry — from social media platforms that knowingly maximize harm to AI systems being deployed before society knows how to govern them.
What this episode covers
What the Ford Pinto case actually revealed about corporate decision-making
Why the same cost-benefit logic now appears in social media and AI
How tech companies can keep harmful systems in place as long as the money still works
Why lobbying, weak regulation, and public apathy make accountability so difficult
What changes when the dangerous product is no longer a car or a cigarette — but invisible software
Why this matters
This isn’t just a history lesson.
It’s a look at how companies continue to treat human harm as a manageable business variable — and why software may make that even easier to hide.
The most unsettling part of the Pinto story is not that it happened.
It’s that the logic never really disappeared.
Today, platforms can optimize for addiction, polarization, dependency, or displacement while executives face little real consequence. And because the harm is digital, distributed, and often invisible, it becomes even harder to regulate — and easier for the public to normalize.
This episode asks a simple but uncomfortable question:
If we already know the pattern, why do we keep accepting it?
🎙️ About Rethinking Tech
Rethinking Tech explores the intersection of technology, geopolitics, business, and ethics — focusing on how systems actually work, not just how they’re talked about.
We analyze structure, incentives, and consequences — without hype.
🔗 Connect with Us
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RethinkingTech
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NYgOPmYW6Ba2LFn3IBST3
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking-tech/id1795651530
📸 TikTok: @rethinking_tech
💼 LinkedIn: Rethinking Tech Podcast
👤 Aparna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnabhushan/
👤 Harinda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harindak/
...more
6min
April 22, 2026The New Space Race: SpaceX’s 1 Million Satellites & The Hidden Power Grab
RT Deep Dives
Four humans orbit the moon for the first time in 54 years—but that’s not the real story.

Behind the headlines, a far bigger shift is happening: SpaceX has quietly filed to launch 1 million satellites into orbit—a move that could redefine power, ownership, and control beyond Earth.

In this episode of Rethinking Tech, we break down the tech, geopolitics, and ethics of the new space race—and why this isn’t just about exploration anymore.
Why 1 million satellites could reshape global infrastructure
The rise of private companies over governments in space
How orbital dominance could become the next “land grab”
The legal vacuum: outdated space laws vs modern tech
The Kessler Effect and the risk of space becoming unusable
Why most countries are already falling behind
This isn’t science fiction—it’s the early stages of a borderless power shift.
As space becomes the next frontier for connectivity, compute, and control, the rules are being written in real time—by companies, not countries.
The question is no longer who reaches space first…
It’s who owns it when they get there.
🚀 What this episode covers:🌍 Why this matters:🔗 Connect with Us
📺 YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@RethinkingTech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6NYgOPmYW6Ba2LFn3IBST3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🍏 Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking-tech/id1795651530⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 TikTok: @rethinking_tech💼 LinkedIn: Rethinking Tech Podcast👤 Aparna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnabhushan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠👤 Harinda: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/harindak/⁠⁠
...more
39min
April 21, 2026Inside China’s AI Boom: Tech Wars & the Future Beyond the West
What does the future of AI really look like - outside of Silicon Valley?

In this episode, we sit down with Kinling Lo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kinling-lo-03555213a/), a reporter from the Rest of World, covering China’s tech ecosystem from the ground. From the rise of DeepSeek to China’s dominance in humanoid robots and AI adoption, this conversation challenges the Western narrative around innovation, competition, and control.

We explore how Chinese AI companies are scaling globally, why monetization matters more than hype, and what the US–China tech rivalry actually looks like on the inside.
Why DeepSeek changed how the world views Chinese AI
China vs US: competition, perception, and reality in tech
How Chinese AI companies are monetizing faster than the West
The truth about AI adoption in China (and why users are more optimistic)
Why China dominates humanoid robots & manufacturing scale
The role of geopolitics, chips, and global expansion strategies
The AI race isn’t just about who builds the best model—it’s about who scales, monetizes, and reaches the world first. This episode gives you a rare, on-the-ground perspective into China’s tech ecosystem—and what it means for the future of global innovation.

🔗 Connect with Us
👤 Aparna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnabhushan/
👤 Kinling: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kinling-lo-03555213a/
👤 Harinda: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/harindak/⁠⁠
...more
43min
April 20, 2026Why The Gulf Is Rethinking US Tech After The Iran War
The Iran war did not just shake the Middle East.
It exposed something much bigger: how fragile digital dependence can become when war hits infrastructure.
In this x10 episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda break down how the fallout from the Iran-US-Israel war may be reshaping the balance of power in tech — especially in the Gulf, where disrupted AWS infrastructure opened the door for Huawei and for a broader Chinese return.
What this episode covers
How Iranian strikes on AWS-linked infrastructure disrupted key Gulf sectors
Why Huawei is now repositioning itself as a resilience and multi-cloud alternative
How the Gulf’s relationship with the US is starting to fray under real security and economic pressure
Why sovereign cloud is no longer just a procurement issue, but a national security doctrine
How China’s role in rare earths, chips, and infrastructure gives it leverage far beyond the battlefield
Why this matters
This is not just a story about one company spotting an opportunity.
It is about how war is redrawing tech alliances — and how countries that once treated cloud dependence as a business decision may now have to treat it as a survival issue.
For years, countries worried about vendor lock-in, digital sovereignty, and foreign tech dependence.
But the Iran war appears to have changed the stakes.
When banks, fintech systems, logistics, and energy flows are all vulnerable at once, cloud strategy stops being an IT conversation. It becomes a geopolitical one.
And in that kind of moment, China does not need to dominate the Gulf overnight.
It just needs to look more reliable than the alternative.
🎙️ About Rethinking Tech
Rethinking Tech explores the intersection of technology, geopolitics, business, and ethics — focusing on how systems actually work, not just how they’re talked about.
We analyze structure, incentives, and consequences — without hype.
🔗 Connect with Us
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RethinkingTech
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NYgOPmYW6Ba2LFn3IBST3
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking-tech/id1795651530
📸 TikTok: @rethinking_tech
💼 LinkedIn: Rethinking Tech Podcast
👤 Aparna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnabhushan/
👤 Harinda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harindak/
...more
5min
April 17, 2026Why Sam Altman’s Most Personal Blog Post Still Raises Red Flags
Sam Altman just published one of his most personal blog posts yet.
It opens with a photo of his husband and child. It talks about anger, fear, family, responsibility, and the future of AI.
And it came just after someone threw a Molotov cocktail at his home.
In this x10 episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda break down the deeper meaning of Sam Altman’s latest message — not just what he said, but why he said it now, how he frames himself, and what this moment reveals about power, governance, public trust, and the growing backlash against tech leaders.
What this episode covers
Why Sam Altman’s blog struck such a personal and emotional tone
How the attack on his home changed the context around his message
The gap between identifying AI risks and actually solving them
Why Altman’s language on governance, humility, and responsibility still left major questions unanswered
What rising public anger toward tech leaders says about failed regulation and broken trust
Why this matters
This is not a takedown of Sam Altman.
It’s a closer look at how the most powerful voice in AI is trying to shape the narrative — at a moment when the public is becoming more fearful, more frustrated, and less willing to believe that the people building these systems are acting in the public interest.
When AI leaders talk about risk, responsibility, and the future of humanity, it matters.
But it matters even more when those same leaders still control enormous power, still offer few concrete solutions, and still operate in a political environment where regulation lags far behind the scale of disruption.
This episode asks a hard question:
What happens when the public no longer trusts governments to govern tech — and no longer trusts tech leaders to govern themselves?
🎙️ About Rethinking Tech
Rethinking Tech explores the intersection of technology, geopolitics, business, and ethics — focusing on how systems actually work, not just how they’re talked about.
We analyze structure, incentives, and consequences — without hype.
🔗 Connect with Us
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RethinkingTech
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NYgOPmYW6Ba2LFn3IBST3
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking-tech/id1795651530
📸 TikTok: @rethinking_tech
💼 LinkedIn: Rethinking Tech Podcast
👤 Aparna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnabhushan/
👤 Harinda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harindak/
...more
9min
April 16, 2026Iran’s Threat to Apple, Google, and Nvidia Is Bigger Than It Looks
Iran and the US agreed to a ceasefire.
But one of the most important parts of this story is not just what happened between states — it is what happened when Iran named major US tech companies as legitimate targets. That list included firms such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Oracle, and IBM, alongside a UAE AI company.
In this x10 episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda break down what that threat really means — and why this may mark a deeper shift in how war, infrastructure, AI, and geopolitics now intersect.
What this episode covers
Why Iran’s threat against US tech firms may represent a major escalation in how conflict is defined
Whether cloud, AI, and platform companies should still be treated as civilian infrastructure when they are deeply tied to national security goals
How companies from Microsoft to AWS to social platforms are increasingly embedded in state power and security strategy
Why Gulf investments, data centers, and AI projects raise the stakes for both American tech companies and US foreign policy
How the petrodollar, Gulf sovereign wealth, and AI capital flows all connect back to Silicon Valley and America’s broader strategic position
Why this matters
This is not just a conversation about whether Iran would actually strike those companies.
It is a conversation about whether Big Tech has effectively become part of the American security apparatus — and what happens when adversaries start treating it that way.
For years, tech companies have been described as private actors.
But if they are central to AI development, surveillance, weapons targeting, cloud infrastructure, influence operations, and national growth strategy, then the line between civilian technology and strategic infrastructure becomes much harder to defend. That is the real tension at the center of this episode.
The episode also goes further: if Gulf states are now crucial not only to AI infrastructure but to the capital flows sustaining Silicon Valley, then attacks on those projects are not just regional events. They become part of the future of American tech power itself.
🎙️ About Rethinking Tech
Rethinking Tech explores the intersection of technology, geopolitics, business, and ethics — focusing on how systems actually work, not just how they’re talked about.
We analyze structure, incentives, and consequences — without hype.
🔗 Connect with Us
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RethinkingTech
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NYgOPmYW6Ba2LFn3IBST3
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking-tech/id1795651530
📸 TikTok: @rethinking_tech
💼 LinkedIn: Rethinking Tech Podcast
👤 Aparna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnabhushan/
👤 Harinda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harindak/
...more
7min
April 14, 2026Meta Knew It Was Harming Kids… And Did It Anyway | Big Tech’s Tobacco Moment?
RT Deep Dives

Two juries. Two states. One message: Big Tech knew.

This week, courts ruled that platforms like Meta and YouTube were aware their products were harming children—yet continued to prioritize engagement and profit.
So why did it take 20 years to reach this point?

In this episode, we break down what could be a defining moment for social media—drawing parallels to Big Tobacco, exploring the role of addictive design, and questioning whether fines and lawsuits can actually change Big Tech behavior.

We also dig into the bigger picture:
Are these platforms just responding to incentives… or deliberately engineering addiction?

What this episode covers:
The landmark verdicts against Meta and YouTube
Why this is being called Big Tech’s “Big Tobacco moment”
How algorithms and UX design drive addiction (not just content)
Why fines like $375M may change nothing
The real battle: platform design vs regulation
What 2,400+ pending cases could mean for the future
Why this matters:
This isn’t just about kids or social media anymore.
It’s about how digital systems are designed to influence behavior at scale—and whether accountability is finally catching up.
🔗 Connect with Us
📺 YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@RethinkingTech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6NYgOPmYW6Ba2LFn3IBST3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🍏 Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking-tech/id1795651530⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 TikTok: @rethinking_tech💼 LinkedIn: Rethinking Tech Podcast👤 Aparna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnabhushan/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠👤 Harinda: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/harindak/⁠⁠
...more
37min
April 13, 2026Walmart and OpenAI Broke Up - Because They Didn't Get It
When a company like Walmart makes a serious move with OpenAI, it is never just about experimentation.
It is about scale.
In this x10 episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda break down what Walmart’s OpenAI move could mean for the future of retail — from operational efficiency and automation to labor, decision-making, and competitive power.
This is not just a story about one company adopting a new tool.
It is a look at what happens when frontier AI enters one of the most complex business systems in the world.
What this episode covers
Why Walmart’s OpenAI move matters beyond a single partnership
How AI could reshape logistics, customer interaction, and internal operations
What this says about the future of large-scale retail decision-making
Why major companies are racing to embed AI into core business functions
What this shift could mean for labor, competition, and corporate power
Why this matters
This is not a generic AI adoption story.
It is about how one of the world’s biggest companies may be turning AI into a strategic operating layer.
Retail sits at the intersection of labor, data, logistics, and consumer behavior.
If AI starts to meaningfully shape that system, then the effects will go far beyond shopping.
It will affect how decisions are made, how workers are managed, how efficiency is defined, and which companies are positioned to dominate the next era of commerce.
That is why Walmart matters.
And that is why this move deserves much more attention than a typical product headline.
🎙️ About Rethinking Tech
Rethinking Tech explores the intersection of technology, geopolitics, business, and ethics — focusing on how systems actually work, not just how they’re talked about.
We analyze structure, incentives, and consequences — without hype.
🔗 Connect with Us
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RethinkingTech
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NYgOPmYW6Ba2LFn3IBST3
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking-tech/id1795651530
📸 TikTok: @rethinking_tech
💼 LinkedIn: Rethinking Tech Podcast
👤 Aparna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnabhushan/
👤 Harinda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harindak/
...more
5min
April 10, 2026Instagram Is Killing Encryption — And The Story Is Bigger Than Privacy
Instagram dropping end-to-end encryption sounds like a privacy story.
It may be something much bigger.
In this x10 episode of Rethinking Tech, Aparna and Harinda break down why Instagram’s move away from encryption could reshape far more than private messaging — from AI training and advertising inference to compliance, moderation, and the future of digital privacy itself.
What this episode covers
Why Instagram’s encryption rollback matters beyond user privacy
How removing encryption opens the door to more AI training and advertising inference
Why private conversations are becoming increasingly valuable business infrastructure
How this shift could affect teens, targeting, and platform responsibility
Whether the broader industry is moving toward a world where encryption becomes the exception, not the norm
Why this matters
This isn’t just about one feature change.
It’s about whether platforms are quietly redesigning the internet around a simple assumption: your data will be accessible, readable, and monetizable.
If messaging loses meaningful privacy protections, then the platform gains far more than visibility.
It gains infrastructure for ad targeting, AI development, safety enforcement, and potentially far greater influence over what can be seen, inferred, and acted upon.
And if encryption itself becomes harder to sustain — whether because of business incentives or future technological shifts like quantum computing — then this may be less of an isolated decision and more of a preview.
🎙️ About Rethinking Tech
Rethinking Tech explores the intersection of technology, geopolitics, business, and ethics — focusing on how systems actually work, not just how they’re talked about.
We analyze structure, incentives, and consequences — without hype.
🔗 Connect with Us
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RethinkingTech
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6NYgOPmYW6Ba2LFn3IBST3
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rethinking-tech/id1795651530
📸 TikTok: @rethinking_tech
💼 LinkedIn: Rethinking Tech Podcast
👤 Aparna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparnabhushan/
👤 Harinda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harindak/
...more
6min

FAQs about Rethinking Tech:

How many episodes does Rethinking Tech have?

The podcast currently has 163 episodes available.