Hello Betamax, Do you remember Small Wonder? The 1980s sitcom featured Vicki, a little girl in a red and white frock who was secretly a robot living as the family's daughter. That was my first idea of what a robot could be. In the 1990s, I would come home from school and watch the show every evening. As a child, I believed something like Vicki could one day exist. Now, in my late 30s, the world seems to be moving in that direction. Only this time, the robots aren't sitcom characters but co-workers, helpers, delivery agents, and companions living alongside us. That is the future envisioned by India-based Bharat1.ai. The firm is building a city where AI systems, humans, and humanoid robots operate together in one connected ecosystem. Think of a place where founders and AI researchers spend their days building new technologies while robots take care of routine tasks. Every resident would also have a personal AI agent to manage schedules, errands, and daily decisions. It sounds futuristic, but the ambition is real. Bharat1 is looking to raise US$650 million to complete the project by 2030. In today's featured story, I explore why Bharat1's founders believe an AI city is needed, whether such a model can solve some of AI's biggest problems, and if this project could become a blueprint for future cities in other parts of the world. Samreen Ahmad, Journalist |
