Ex Machina

For better or worse, the technology India has been building over the past decade has had and will continue to have tremendous national significance. It’s hard to connect the dots and appreciate the real impact of these technologies on society. Ex Machina places these technologies in context, telling the story about how they were made and explaining exactly why they are significant. Ex Machina is hosted by Rahul Matthan, and is produced by Vaaka Media.

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Episodes

A Delicious Irony

The Government of India seems hell bent on applying technology to everything it can lay its hands on. From agriculture to disease management, financial services to drones, it feels like there is a technology solution being developed for all interactions with the government. But as much as it might feel like the government has gone overboard with its embrace of all things technology, this enthusiasm is relatively recent. When the first Prime Minister of newly Independent India sat down to chart o...

May 11, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Platforms for Society

Over the last decade, the single greatest change that technology has wrought in India has been the proliferation of platforms for society. Starting with Aadhaar but rapidly expanding to include UPI, eSign and the entire IndiaStack, the impact of these platforms on the way in which society functions is undeniable. As with any technology that has an oversize impact on society, these platforms have deeply divided the nation. The vocal opposition to Aadhaar culminated in its challenge before the Sup...

Apr 27, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 4

The Sharing Solution

Very early on at the dawn of India’s tech boom we gave the world its first shareable handheld computation device. But despite its promise, the Simputer never made it big. Today, India has the opportunity to change the world yet again in its own unique way, this time in the arena of urban mobility. But in order to do that we will need to fundamentally change the way we think about commuting. Ex Machina is produced by Vaaka Media. Theme music composed by Erwick D’Souza. Follow us at @exmachinapod....

Apr 14, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 3

The Incurable Disease

There are certain rare diseases that have long thought to be incurable. But today radical new therapies are being developed largely on an experimental basis in laboratories in the developed world. In this episode, I bring you the story of one family’s heroic effort to find the cure for an incurable disease, racing against time to try and save their son’s life. Ex Machina is produced by Vaaka Media. Theme music composed by Erwick D’Souza. Follow us at @exmachinapod.

Mar 30, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Data Privacy with Justice Srikrishna

A curtain raiser for the first season of Ex Machina: Rahul Matthan interviews Justice Srikrishna on data privacy and much more. Ex Machina uncovers hidden stories about how technology changes society, and how technologies developed in India are going to affect the world. For better or worse, the technology India has been building over the past decade has had and will continue to have tremendous national significance. It’s hard to connect the dots and appreciate the real impact of these technolog...

Jan 29, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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