Can we ever rein in the Big Tech firms to foster indigenous innovation, stimulate balanced growth, and protect national sovereignty? Can we have a balanced set of rules and a clear framework to safeguard larger public interest? Can we check the weaponisation of the internet with balanced cybersecurity and secure data governance framework to make Google (Alphabet); Apple; Facebook (Meta); Amazon; and Microsoft, besides others, more responsible and resilient? Look around, Big Tech run most of the digital services that are integral and ubiquitous to our life. Our minds, economy, national security, democracy, and progress are invisibly controlled by a few technology firms.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) -- the innovation arm of the U.S. military -- is aiming to answer these thorny questions by outsourcing the decision-making process to artificial intelligence. Through a new program, called In the Moment, it wants to develop technology that would make quick decisions in stressful situations using algorithms and data, arguing that removing human biases may save lives, according to details from the program's launch this month.

The latest book by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony and Cass Sunstein has yet to be released, but the talk about Noise is well underway. Interviews, reviews, and essays have been making the rounds. A lot of ground has been covered. The reports go well beyond discussing the concept of noise, how it differs from bias, why this difference matter -- and how it all ties in with decision-making. Noise, defined as random errors caused by inconsistent decision-making, is said to cost organizations a lot of money. And, if accurate, the dollar amounts tossed around do sound quite alarming.

If you, like many others, are wondering how artificial intelligence (AI) will change your daily life, envision this: Inside your home, items will become self-aware of their own lifespan and will autonomously order better, cheaper replacements that arrive exactly before their depletion. From lights that reorder themselves to appliances that are smarter and understand your needs and lifestyle, AI will integrate seamlessly into your home. At the office, your traditional pre-commuting headaches will vanish. Predictive models will observe your calendar and morning rituals to prepare you for your day. Your AI "companion" will order your favorite vehicle experience, which will wait for you without intervention and will quickly route you to your intended destination.