How agentic AI is reshaping data management; Honouring the textiles of Karnataka

Hello,

Are we losing our intelligence? Perhaps.

Assessments show that people across age groups are having trouble concentrating and losing reasoning, problem-solving, and information-processing skills. Moreover, young people are struggling with reduced attention spans and weakening critical thinking skills.

The reason? While the pandemic has left a lasting impact on access to education, the assessments point to the sharp decline in reading and the world's changing relationship to the way we consume information and media.

Is it why it sometimes feels like the world has been the victim of a series of bad decisions?

A recent study involving twins indicates that the ability to make rational decisions, often seen as a separate skill, is actually very closely tied to general intelligence. In fact, it suggests that being irrational, or making illogical choices, might simply be another way of measuring lower intelligence.

Well, better put your nose in a book.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Reshaping data management
• Honouring the textiles of Karnataka

Here’s your trivia for today: Which city was the site of a 900-day siege during World War II?

Interview

Reshaping data management

Known for its ability to perform complex, multi-step tasks in minutes, the effectiveness of an AI agent depends heavily on accurate ‘data retrieval’. As data sources grow, managing access securely and retrieving accurate information becomes challenging. 

Addressing this AI-data mismatch is Snowflake, an American AI data-cloud firm which recently launched Cortex Agents—AI tools designed to efficiently retrieve and orchestrate both structured and unstructured data for business insights.

Intelligent insights:

• Since 2012, the San Mateo, California-based firm has been reshaping data management with its cloud-based data warehousing platform, enabling organisations to store, manage, and analyse large volumes of data.
• “Our strategy is to offer AI in an easy, efficient, and trusted manner, building on a strong data foundation. We have built a premier data platform to be able to analyse large amounts of data and govern it,” Baris Gultekin, Head of AI at Snowflake, tells YourStory.
• “We see India as a strategic market for Snowflake and already have many valued customers there. With its young and dynamic market, I believe India will adopt AI faster than average,” he adds.

Art and Culture

Honouring the textiles of Karnataka

At Hampi in northern Karnataka, the ancient temple ruins, palaces, and even the precariously balanced boulders whisper secrets of its antiquity and resilience. Amid this backdrop, an exhibition, ‘Pampa: Textiles of Karnataka’—curated by Lavina Baldota, Mayank Mansingh Kaul, Pragati Mathur, Nupur Saxena, and Priya Saxena—attempted to weave a tapestry of tales through a visual representation of the state’s lesser known textiles. 

Artisan empowerment:

• The hand-painted murals on the ceiling of the Virupaksha Temple were replicated through the Nayaka Kalamkari panel, created especially for the exhibition by Sriyasmita Mishra and Vipin Das of Chennai-based Aksh Studio. 
• The Pampa exhibition has been two years in the making. The team travelled to clusters across Karnataka to look at collections, understand the know-how, talk to revivalists, and document the state's textile heritage. 
• Every exhibition eventually benefits the artisan community. “We get so many inquiries from people—there’s no hesitation in sharing their numbers and credits. I don't get involved in any kind of transaction. We are connectors,” says curator Lavina Baldota.

News & updates

• Top salary: The pay package of UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti came in just above 15 million Swiss francs ($17 million) in 2024, Swiss daily Blick reported, not citing where it obtained the information. This would be more than the 14.4 million Swiss francs Ermotti received in 2023 for nine months of work.
• Free trade: India and New Zealand announced the restart of ‘comprehensive and mutually beneficial’ free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations after a 10-year hiatus. Both countries had entered into FTA negotiations 14 years ago, but talks stalled after 10 rounds of discussions.
• AI race: China’s Baidu has launched two new artificial intelligence models, including a new reasoning-focused model that it said rivalled DeepSeek’s model, as it vies to stand out in a fiercely competitive AI race.

What you should watch out for

• Global market cues: US Federal Reserve officials meeting this week are expected to leave the US central bank’s benchmark overnight interest rate in the 4.25%-4.50% range. This comes as US President Donald Trump wages a trade war with Mexico, Canada, China, and the European Union, leading to reciprocal tariffs. Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan’s policy board will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday amid growing concerns that the global economy will be pushed down by US tariffs and other factors.
• Industry showcase: The Indian Industries Association will host the Build Bharat Expo 2025 at Pragati Maidan in Delhi to provide a major platform for micro, small and medium enterprises to compete at the national level. The expo will be held from March 19 to 21 and is being organized to promote industrial innovation and business cooperation, and showcase India's manufacturing capabilities to the world.

Which city was the site of a 900-day siege during World War II?

Answer: Leningrad, USSR. The prolonged blockage by German and Finnish armed forces actually lasted 872 days.

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