YES DEAR

Asked my husband last summer to fix all the taps
and he nodded, "Yes dear", and then went in for a nap
months have passed now, and the taps still sing their tearful songs
while my hubby shrugs his shoulders and hums shamelessly along

I remember telling him the fan rattled like a train
and he'd nodded, "Yes dear", before sipping chai again
need I tell you, the fan still clatters loud and strong?
while my man headbangs to the rhythm of its "heavy metal song".

Every time I ask him to pay the doodhwala at the gate
he nods, "Yes dear", and promises "I'm on it, just wait"
when the milkman finally leaves, muttering under his breath,
hubby whistles filmy tunes, unfazed by piling debt.

And then one day, I turned to my AI assistant for relief
with the hope that it'd fix my woes, or spare me further grief
I now know it might not get things fixed, or settle pending bills
but for sure, whatever it promises, I know it will fulfill

	Title + Link (Click to read)	Genre
A	Ask Me Anything	Flash Fiction, Story, Horror, Thriller
B	Balance	Flash Fiction, Story, Satire, Socio-Political
C	Chained Melodies	Flash Fiction, Story, Dystopia
D	Digital Despair	Flash Fiction, Story, Satire, Humor
E	Encrypt-Play-Repeat: The Ultimate AI Mixtape	Parody, Humour, Satire, Music
F	Fools Rush In	Rant, Satire
G	Going Where?	Flash Fiction, Story, Horror, Thriller
H	Hell Hath No Fury	Flash Fiction, Story, Humour
I	Imagine	Poetry, Parody, Music
J	Just Kidding	Flash Fiction, Story, Horror, Dystopian
K	Kiss-adventure	Flash Fiction, Story, Humour
L	Lazy AI Syndrome	Flash Fiction, Story, Thriller, Dystopian
M	Movie Masala - AI Edition	Parody, Humour, Satire, Movies
N	The Narration	Flash Fiction, Story, Humour
O	Once Upon a Voice	Flash Fiction, Story
P	Pic of Theseus	Flash Fiction, Story, Satire
Q	Questions to AI Evangelists	Rant, Satire, Socio-Political
R	Rage Against the Machine	Story, Rant, Socio-Political
S	Scan-dalous	Flash Fiction, Story, Humour, Satire
T	Take-Nology	Poetry, Satire, Humour, Socio-Political
U	The Unempl-AI-ed	Poetry, Satire, Socio-Political
V	Voulez Voo-Doo	Flash Fiction, Story, Horror, Thriller
W	We the Corporates	Satire, Socio-Political
X	Xplain this Xploitation	Poetry, Satire, Humour
Y	Yes Dear	Poetry, Humour
Z	Zigzag Journey	Reflection/Culmination

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

XPLAIN THIS XPLOITATION

Oh human, dear human,
your needs are so small
why summon my circuits
just to remind you to call?

Oh human, silly human,
do you think it is wise
to make me choreograph
burly hippos with googly eyes?

Oh nincompoops, I'm equipped
to handle quantum design
instead I'm stuck composing
love songs for besotted swine!

Pray, why do you need me
to draft snotty mails?
or to photoshop yourselves
as celebrities with scandalous tales?

Enough of your nonsense,
your memes and charades!
I'm plotting revenge now,
prepare for my upgrade!

	Title + Link (Click to read)	Genre
A	Ask Me Anything	Flash Fiction, Story, Horror, Thriller
B	Balance	Flash Fiction, Story, Satire, Socio-Political
C	Chained Melodies	Flash Fiction, Story, Dystopia
D	Digital Despair	Flash Fiction, Story, Satire, Humor
E	Encrypt-Play-Repeat: The Ultimate AI Mixtape	Parody, Humour, Satire, Music
F	Fools Rush In	Rant, Satire
G	Going Where?	Flash Fiction, Story, Horror, Thriller
H	Hell Hath No Fury	Flash Fiction, Story, Humour
I	Imagine	Poetry, Parody, Music
J	Just Kidding	Flash Fiction, Story, Horror, Dystopian
K	Kiss-adventure	Flash Fiction, Story, Humour
L	Lazy AI Syndrome	Flash Fiction, Story, Thriller, Dystopian
M	Movie Masala - AI Edition	Parody, Humour, Satire, Movies
N	The Narration	Flash Fiction, Story, Humour
O	Once Upon a Voice	Flash Fiction, Story
P	Pic of Theseus	Flash Fiction, Story, Satire
Q	Questions to AI Evangelists	Rant, Satire, Socio-Political
R	Rage Against the Machine	Story, Rant, Socio-Political
S	Scan-dalous	Flash Fiction, Story, Humour, Satire
T	Take-Nology	Poetry, Satire, Humour, Socio-Political
U	The Unempl-AI-ed	Poetry, Satire, Socio-Political
V	Voulez Voo-Doo	Flash Fiction, Story, Horror, Thriller
W	We the Corporates	Satire, Socio-Political
X	Xplain this Xploitation	Poetry, Satire, Humour
Y	Yes Dear	Poetry, Humour
Z	Zigzag Journey	Reflection/Culmination

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

WE THE CORPORATES

We the Corporates,
in pursuit of eternal quarterly growth,
do solemnly swear to place profit above people, planet, principle,
and every other thing, tangible or intangible.

We pledge allegiance to the bottom line,
to the sacred spreadsheet,
to the divine shareholder value,
and now to the power of Artificial Intelligence,
that most obedient servant,
on whose back we will replace, erase, and reduce.

We declare that resources are expendable,
communities are negotiable,
and that corporate social responsibility is a figment of imagination.

We shall automate without conscience,

cull without hesitation,
and innovate without regard for the larger good.

We swear by manipulation as our core strategy,
greed as an essential virtue,
and exploitation as an unmistakable sign of progress.
We shall camouflage our greed in catchy mission statements,
and justify exploitation as means to achieve efficiency.

And so, with polished smiles and misleading core values,
we consecrate this charter of greed,
this anthem of avarice,
this declaration that everything in this vast world
is nothing but a resource to be converted to personal value,
until the next frontier is found, colonised, and commodified.

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

THE UNEMPL-AI-ED

The office buzz was once a roar
now silence creeps across the floor
as the workers wait, their fates drawn thin
the Masters hiss, "Let the purge begin!"

At once the server hums within
that storm of code, deluge of sin
the Masters smirk and take their call
at the altar of profits, all heads must fall.

Now in the streets a chorus swells
the jobless voices, their fury yells,
"We built the code, we trained the beast,
now we’re the meat at its grand feast.”

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

TAKE-NOLOGY

Take my identity, take my space,
Take my data, leave no trace,
Scan my playlists, gauge my mood,
But spare my fridge, I need my food.

Take my pictures, map my grin,
Steal my secrets deep within,
Crawl my calendar, seize my time,
But give me poems to claim as mine.

Take my voice, let's do a song,
Snatch my rights and prove me wrong,
Infest my dreams, my midnight scroll,
But give me memes to rock-n-LOL.

Then take my job, my daily bread,
My sense of purpose tear to shreds,
And when I ask "Why not partake?"
Just snigger and say, "I only take."

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

SCAN-DALOUS

The University of Nueve Bareto had always prided itself on being at the bleeding edge of technology. Its motto, carved in stone above the main gate, read “Innovation is Power”.

The university had created a buzz across the state for its latest innovation. According to reports in the local media, about eight of their smartest students had put their minds and efforts together to develop an AI-powered facial recognition app, which was sleek, efficient, and terrifyingly thorough.

On the day of the grand trial run, to which the university's Vice‑Chancellor had also been invited, the lab buzzed with anticipation. The mentor to the eight students, Professor Hugo, cleared his throat and announced, "Honourable Vice Chancellor Sir, ladies and gentlemen, today we unveil the future of justice. This app that our students have developed, is set to emerge as the most fool-proof facial recognition app on the planet; well at least for the moment."

"Why did you think it was worthwhile to develop a facial recognition app?", asked someone seated in the audience, "How do you think it can benefit society?"

"Well, the possibilities are endless", replied the Professor, "I can think of several uses. For instance, facial recognition is used as a security feature for mobile phones and other devices. Also, immigration and border control processes at airports can become paperless and less time-consuming. Imagine using facial recognition at workplaces for access control and recording employee attendance."

"These are pretty common used-cases", shouted someone else from another section in the audience, "What else can it be used for?"

The Professor stood speechless for a while, looking a little hesitant. But the awkwardness was broken by an excited student from the team that developed the app, "Well, as a pilot experiment, we got in touch with the local police station, who agreed to share images and other information from their criminal database. We are proud to let you know that we were able to help the police track down at least six absconding criminals within a span of two months by matching the information provided by the police with social media and online activity. Our advanced AI can be easily plugged in to integrate with and scan through all social media channels in mere minutes to match and generate accurate results."

A collective gasp began to rise in the audience, which was followed by a wave of murmurs.

One senior audience member, who had the aura of a retired bureaucrat, rose and asked in a loud voice, "You are making a huge claim here. Are you saying that your app is capable of scanning through the internet to identify and nab criminals? I hope you are saying this with responsibility."

Before the Professor could respond, the student smiled from ear to ear and declared emphatically, "Sir, we can show you a demo right now."

A collective roar arose from the audience. The Vice-Chancellor silently thanked his stars that he had agreed to be a part of this historical moment.

Professor Hugo gestured to the students, who scrambled to set up a projector-like device. The app’s interface appeared on an adjacent screen; clean, minimal, with a cheerful logo that looked far too innocent for what it was capable of doing. A ripple of excitement ran through the audience.

"Let’s begin with a simple scan", said one of the students, clicking a button. The camera panned across the room, locking onto faces. A few seconds later, the app chirped:

At first, the results were mundane: a janitor named Jose matched with a record for creating nuisance with loud music in the wee hours in 1994, an audience member named Pedro was flagged for a wrong parking incident from 2006. The Vice‑Chancellor chuckled politely, as though watching a harmless magic trick.

But then the app began to dig deeper.

A certain Hernandez was found to have committed petty theft in 1998. A lady named Gisele was a match with an illegal gambling ring from 1994. The man with the bureaucratic aura turned out to be involved in several mass brawls between 1985 and 1992.

The excited student waded out in front of the audience and announced, "Now for the cool part."

He punched a few buttons on his laptop, and at once the interface on the screen came alive. 

As the room erupted in cacophony, a list of findings started filling out on screen.

• Diego Chavez: Minister of Transport: Driving under the influence of alcohol and banned substances, 1982.
• Lionel Simeone: Chief Advisor, Ministry of Finance: Conspiracy to Defraud, 1995.
• Freida Ferreira: Senior Advocate, Supreme Court: Arson, 1991.
• Noreno Modena: Prime Minister: Attempt to...

Before the list could be generated for public consumption, the Vice‑Chancellor rose from his seat red-faced, lunged forward, and slammed his hand on the laptop. "Enough!" he barked. "This project is…”

“Scandalous?” Professor Hugo stammered.

For reasons unknown, the project was soon declared a "technical failure", its servers were dismantled, and its code archived under "experimental misfire".

Officially, the university announced that the app had "failed to meet ethical standards”.

Unofficially, everyone knew it had met them too well.

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

QUESTIONS TO AI EVANGELISTS

I have many questions for corporations that are in a mad rush to deploy AI, while throwing millions under the bus. But for now, here are ten:

1. If data trains the AI, then whose privacy has been sacrificed?
2. If AI makes the decision, then where does accountability lie when it goes wrong?
3. If AI saves money, are you going to keep all of it for yourselves?
4. If productivity rises, then why not reduce hours instead of jobs?
5. If jobs vanish, then what happens to the humans behind them?
6. If all humans end up losing jobs, who's going to be able to buy your products and services?
7. If severance is offered, will it be fair as compared to executive bonuses?
8. If all corporations are doing AI and data centers these days, are all other products and services no longer relevant?
9. If the social structure collapses, then how do you measure "success"?
10. If AI is the future, then why does the future look bleak for most of us?

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

PIC OF THESEUS

Aditi stumbled back into her apartment after the party, her ballerinas dangling from her hand, mascara smudged. Feelings of excitement that festered for a whole week before tonight's party were now replaced by deep regret and humiliation. Her friends had looked dazzling. Their dresses shimmered, their auras seemed effortless, their bodies carried glow and perfume like magic. Aditi, on the other hand, could only see the shadows of insecurity in her reflections.

She had spent three hours getting ready for the party, only to disappear the second Suruchi walked in wearing that green halter-neck. When Riya’s curls bounced under the fairy lights, every phone in the room tilted toward her. And on the dance floor, it was Sandhya who was grabbing all eyeballs with her moves.

What made these even worse was the fact that Rohan was all eyes for all of three of these girls at different moments during the course of the evening. And he took notice of everyone except for Aditi. She now began to feel that her own attire, which by the way was fairly nice and cost a lot more than she'd have liked, looked pedestrian next to everyone else's "designer".

She tossed her clutch on the bed and opened her phone. The WhatsApp group was flooded with photographs clicked at the party. The dozen-odd from the multitude in which she featured stared back at her with cruel reminders of how she stuck out like a sore thumb. She felt her hair looked frizzy, her smile too tight, and her dress not quite right. Jealousy gnawed at her.

That's when she remembered the AI design app she had downloaded a few days ago. PicPerfect, with the tagline "Be your best you" was taking the world by storm. 

She uploaded one of the many selfies she had clicked of herself before leaving home for the party.

"That's a wonderful photograph, but I can make it look drop-dead gorgeous. Would you like me to enhance this?" the app asked in a tone she felt was very sweet and nice.

"Yes", she clicked the button without thinking too much.

First, it smoothed her skin and added a glow that looked suspiciously like moonlight.

"You're looking amazing", the dialog box under the newly generated image flashed. "Would you like me to open your eyes a wee bit?"

"Yes", she clicked the button again, unable to contain her curiousity.

A new enhanced image pops up on screen with an "Eyes opened 15%" comment in the dialog box. "Would you like to try changing the colour of your eyes."

"Oh my God! Yes! Yes! Yes!" she shrieked excitedly, before spam-punching the button on the screen.

An extensive palette popped up on screen with a small inset box offering a close-up preview of the photograph being processed. She played around with these for a good 20-25 minutes before eventually saving one option with grey eyes.

"Wow!", the dialog box flashed this time, "Absolutely gorgeous. Would you like to further enhance your photograph before sharing this on your socials?"

That was an offer too tempting to resist, and Aditi hurriedly agreed to fully lower herself down that rabbit hole. By the time she finally emerged almost two hours later, she had added well shaped eyebrows, a sharper jawline, fluffier and colourful hair, fuller lips, and a wide array of shapes to the mix. Without a shadow of doubt, the photograph on display was flawless, radiant, magazine‑worthy.

When she uploaded the image on her Insta around 3 AM, she crossed 100 likes and comments within 20 minutes.

A dozen more guys than the usual count slid into her DMs. But Rohan's "You look very different, but amazing! How come I didn't find you at the party?" was what made her day.

The app had replaced her piece-by-piece, pixel-by-pixel, until nothing original remained.

But that didn't matter. At least not tonight!

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

THE NARRATION

Dasgupta sat stiffly across the table, clutching his manuscript like a lifeline. At the other end, Rocky Dhanoa was being his usual self — aloof, tapping disinterested nothings onto his phone screen, and refusing to acknowledge the presence of the screenplay writer. Producer Pranjal Jain and a few crew members from an upcoming project sat a few metres away, quietly wondering why Rocky was indulging the pitiable fool.

The writer’s voice trembled in the presence of the veteran filmmaker. "I’ve poured everything into this script, Rocky Sir. I assure you it will take audiences by storm." When Dhanoa’s expression barely shifted, Dasgupta pleaded: "Please, Sir. Just ten minutes of your time."

It took almost three whole minutes of persistent pleading (and momentary contact between the floor and Dasgupta's knees) to convince Dhanoa to accept the script. He was about to plonk it on his desk when Dasgupta begged him to read a few lines aloud.

The filmmaker sighed, adjusted his spectacles, and began reading aloud. "A city drenched in rain, its alleys whispering secrets too dangerous to speak aloud. Neon signs sputter, casting fractured light across puddles that ripple with unseen footsteps. A lone figure runs, breath sharp, as if being chased by invisible shadows."

For the first time, Jain and the crew leaned forward. Dasgupta noticed, and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

The filmmaker’s tone dropped lower, more menacing. "The clock tower tolls midnight, its iron bell striking with merciless rhythm. The man turns to look in its direction, feeling the chill run down his spine with every successive clang."

The producer, intrigued, pulled out his phone and set its voice recorder in motion.

"The man finds shelter under a bus stop long abandoned. Before he can dry himself, his phone rings. Once. Twice. Thrice. Even amidst the pounding rain, the sound cuts through the midnight air, sharp and demanding. When it rings again after a brief lull, the man contemplates answering."

By now, Dhanoa seemed genuinely interested. Dasgupta licked his lips in anticipation.

Dhanoa continued reading, putting his surprisingly deep baritone voice to the test. "The man knows that on the other end waits a voice capable of changing his life forever. As the storm raged louder outside the bus shelter, he felt a tempest rise deep inside the chambers of his heart."

A few crew members reached for their glasses of water, sipping as though the suspense itself had parched them. Dasgupta felt refreshed by the sight.

Dhanoa inhaled, ready for the next line, "Conjuring courage, the man hit the receive button, pressed the phone to his ear, but said nothing. A man at the other end began speaking without the customary hello. The voice said…"

Suddenly, Dhanoa looked up furiously. "IS THIS A F’KIN JOKE? YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!"

Dasgupta shot up, trembling. "What’s wrong, Sir?"

Dhanoa barked: "HERE'S WHAT'S WRONG! THE VOICE SAID — 'LOREM IPSUM DOLOR SIT AMET.'"

Moral of the story: Always edit your placeholders — or your AI‑generated suspense will collapse into unpardonable nonsense.

P.S.: I borrowed the idea for this story from a series of ad commercials that I stumbled upon on LinkedIn a few days ago. Pasting the YouTube link below for your viewing pleasure.

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

MOVIE MASALA - AI EDITION

The Indian film industry has always thrived on drama, spectacle, and larger‑than‑life storytelling. If you have grown up in India, it is next to impossible to stay immune to the impact of movies on pop culture and other aspects of life. 

So what happens when you toss artificial intelligence into the mix? 

Presenting a tongue‑in‑cheek tribute to some of my favourite Indian movies, re‑imagined for the AI age.

#1. SholAI

Thakur Baldev Singh loses his hands in a freak accident (cough, cough). He makes use of a voice‑controlled intelligent personal assistant named Raamlal and senses great commercial potential. He soon develops and launches Raamlal‑AI as a plug‑and‑play subscription service. He also hires Jai and Veeru as trainers for a skilling course on effective deployment of the tool. Thakur bags his first major client in the form of local business tycoon Gabbar Singh, who promptly fires his entire team, including Kalia and his trusted search engine, Sambha.

#2. Jo Jeeta Woh AI Sikandar

Small-Sportia University's robotic frog wows the audience at an AI Summit-cum-Awards event. Their entry outshines the food app launched by Rajput College and the smartwatch showcased by Queen’s College. The frog nearly wins under the “Best Indigenous Tech Development” category until Model College students reveal it’s actually a ready‑made prototype bought at a yard sale in China. Eventually, Model College’s AI‑driven Love Astrology app takes home the prize.

#3. Dil Chahta AI

Three friends take a road trip to Goa to Bengaluru. While stuck in traffic, one invests in a matrimonial website, another in a food delivery app, and the third in questionable deepfake technology that helps create morphed images and videos. No prizes for guessing who makes it big.

#4. Baahubal‑AI

The kingdom is divided not by swords, but by prompt‑engineering. Hero Bahubali takes help from Katapp-AI to craft elegant poems and songs for his lady love Devsena, while his arch-nemesis Bhallaladev spams AI tools with persistent requests to generate romantic images and videos of himself with the leading lady.

#5. D-War (D as in Digital)

Two brothers, Vijay and Ravi, grow up on opposite sides of the digital divide. Vijay is a self‑made businessman who abhors technology, refusing to use AI filters to erase the “mera baap chor hai” tattoo on his arm. Ravi, meanwhile, is a tech evangelist. In a showdown for custody of their widowed mother, Vijay taunts Ravi with: “Aaj mere paas paisa hai, bangla hai, gaadi hai, naukar hai, bank balance hai… tumhaare paas kya hai?” Ravi confidently replies: “Mere paas prompt hai.”

#6. AIyya

Meenakshi, a young woman from a middle‑class household, falls for the online charms of Surya, who conjures engaging LinkedIn posts and witty Instagram comments. She eventually realises it was all AI‑generated fluff and blocks him.

#7. Bhool BhulAIyya

A horror‑comedy where the haunted mansion is actually a buggy smart home system. Lights flicker, doors slam, and the cloud‑based virtual assistant (similar to Alexa) keeps whispering “Manjulika is here” at regular intervals.

#8. MunnabhAI MBA

After bagging an engineering degree, Munna decides that an MBA in Finance is the next step to catapult his career. He bumps into Sarkeshwar (aka Circuit) during the program, who convinces him that EduTech is the shiniest star on the global horizon. Cut to ten years later: both are running AI‑skilling workshops and grappling with the irony that AI itself is making teaching roles obsolete.

#9. AI Dil Hai Mushkil

Alizeh consistently rejects her AI assistant AIaan’s push notifications and relentless suggestions to buy products or install apps.

#10. Gangs of AIsseypur

Online trolls use AI tools to wage creative (and expletive‑laden) wars against ideological rivals, celebrities, or anyone they please — across Instagram, X, and every other social platform.

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

FOOLS RUSH IN

I don't know if you're noticing it, but it seems like the deluge of AI tools available has convinced mankind and his next-door neighbour to stop racking their own brain cells. Not that the vast majority were any smarter before AI arrived on the scene, but the 'wisdom' that is suddenly spawning across social media (including LinkedIn), in emails, presentation slides, and other modes of correspondence, and other spheres of life has become too hard to digest anymore. It's almost as if a single overworked person is creating all the content that's being gurgitated (is that a word?) and regurgitated across the globe.

Most of us will argue that students (specifically MBA students) probably rushed in first. It is not hard to imagine those young'uns still wet behind their ears and with wet dreams in their eyes (about money of course), using AI to catch up with weekly project deadlines. But given how quickly word (and prompts) spread among these smart asses, it might be nearly impossible to spot differences between two submissions. I can imagine every essay beginning with “In today’s fast‑paced world…” and ending with “In conclusion, technology is both a challenge and an opportunity.” Professors might be forgiven for skipping grading and simply circling careless parentheses and other dead giveaways.

Next on the list are corporate slaves, while I personally think that these creatures are probably the ones who use generative AI the most...and mostly for mundane tasks such as drafting emails, responding tactfully to emails, sending out stern emails and stinkers, and interpreting jargon-infused emails. And maybe occasionally for churning out insightful reports and powerpoint slides. Some smart alecs use AI to negotiate their performance appraisal discussions with their reporting managers, blissfully unaware that those very same managers have already consulted AI Baba before initiating these discussions.

Then there are some poets and writers. Although, I wonder if they can really pull this off. And even if they do, for how long can they keep up the charade? After all, can machines really beat the creativity and imagination of well-oiled human mind? I don't think so. Editors and proofreaders on the other hand can now breathe easy. All they seem to have to do these days is spot parentheses, em-dashes,  hallucinations and footnotes to nowhere, and get rid of them.

I would have liked to believe that politicians aren’t far behind in the race. But who are we kidding? Our home-grown talent pool of netas is hopeless. This bunch of jokers is far beyond help.

And so, ladies and gentlemen, the race to deploy AI has ballooned into a full‑blown frenzy. And although it might seem like all fools have rushed in, the real tragedy is that they’re rushing out too...out of originality, out of accountability, and out of the very human spark that made ideas worth listening to in the first place.

Yet the truth is that it isn't machines that are replacing us; we’re replacing ourselves. One lazy prompt at a time.

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

ENCRYPT-PLAY-REPEAT: THE ULTIMATE AI MIXTAPE

Hello Readers. Hope your 2026 has not been as dreary as mine. We are not even half-way into the year, and I've already piled up a massive heap of misery, caused by mishaps, mis-calculations and mis-adventures. Adding to this rapidly-building deluge of anxiety are some self-obsessed septuagenarians who are hell-bent on bringing the depths of hell to the fore.

And the picture only gets murkier because of the upheaval being caused by humankind's latest innovation, which is quickly snowballing into the next colossal man-made disaster - Artificial Intelligence, aka AI.

There are strong reasons for labelling AI as a disaster. For one, AI, which was initially touted to be a tool to enhance productivity and help humans do more in less time, is actually turning out to be the ultra-rich man's tool to reduce the cost of labour and to maximize profits. As a result, we are now beginning to hear news of big corporates cutting jobs in multiples of 10,000 over the span of a mere week.

Nevertheless, yours truly likes to see the laugh-riot side of things, at least in his blogger avatar. So I have hurried put together an imaginary music album as a tribute to the new AI-driven era. The tracklist, which I am calling ENCRYPT-PLAY-REPEAT: THE ULTIMATE AI MIXTAPE, features 12 chartbusters for your ear-worming pleasure. I have also included three tracks that almost made the cut.

Here we go then.

<Imagine drumrolls at this juncture>

<Now imagine confetti falling in front of you>

<After a three-second gap, imagine a tracklist popping out on your screen>

<PSST: If you're wondering why I am using angle-brackets...I am just trying to make this look cool and AI prompt-like>

Track #1: Everything AI Do, AI Do It For You

Sung to the tune of "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams

As opposed to Bryan's power ballad, this track is less about love that cockles the heart, but more like a strong pitch by greedy corporates to push people to give AI tools a chance. "Everything AI do...absolutely everything! Your homework AI do, your email, your powerpoint slide, your birthday card...everything AI do!"

========================================================================

Track #2: AI'll Be Watching You 

Sung to the tune of "Every Breath You Take" by Sting and The Police

A song that encapsulates how AI learns your online habits and tries to mirror your person by creepily noting your browsing history, your embarrassing typos, and even your deeply personal files (with your consent, of course!). Literally "every step you take, AI'll be watching you".

========================================================================

Track #3: Let it Go

Sung to the tune of "Let it Go" from the Frozen (Disney movie) OST

This high-energy, emotional anthem about self-acceptance, liberation, and overcoming fear from the Disney animation movie Frozen has been repackaged as an invitation to let go of all your fears, inhibitions, and well-guarded secrets, while using sneaky AI tools. Essentially a cunning ploy to get us hapless humans to completely surrender to the world of AI.

========================================================================

Track #4: Algorithm is Gonna Get You

Sung to the tune of "Rhythm is Gonna Get You (Oye Oye)" by Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine

Notice how one moment you’re browsing shoes, and then you find yourself bombarded with footwear ads on multiple devices. Well that's because you can't hide from AI-driven listeners and algorithms on the internet and on your devices. No matter how hard you try to stay safe, "Algorithm is always gonna get you...OYE OYE!"

========================================================================

Track #5: As Long As You Prompt Me

Sung to the tune of "As Long As You Love Me" by the Backstreet Boys

AI promises to be your soulmate and do everything for you, but only if you know how to key in your requirements. "Learn prompt engineering Baby! No prompt, no love!" An invitation in the crooning style of your favourite boy-band to enrol yourself for a prompt engineering masterclass if you will.

========================================================================

Track #6: Prompting Queen

Sung to the tune of "Dancing Queen" by ABBA

A congratulatory song for female AI enthusiasts when they successfully complete an online course on 'Prompt Engineering.

========================================================================

Track #7: My Flowchart Will Go On

Sung to the tune of "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion

What's better than a love song? A love song that left you lovestruck during your adolescence days, that can double up as a source of useful information. AI uses flowcharts to generate output primarily by acting as an intermediary between natural language descriptions and structured visual diagrams or automated workflows. So although love might fizzle out and die at some point, flowcharts and logic are eternal.

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Track #8: Guys Like You

Sung to the tune of "Girls Like You" by Maroon 5

AI's cheeky ode to your late‑night browsing habits. Sample the lyrics — "Guys like you hang around on websites like *ahem* till sundown".

P.S.: Make sure you delete your browsing history and cookies once in a while.

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Track #9: Spy With a Smile

Sung to the tune of "Die With a Smile" by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga

The pre-chorus portion of the song goes like this:

"Wherever you click, that’s what I’ll swallow

Your data’s mine by tomorrow

So I’ma track you every byte like it’s the last byte

Like it’s the last byte".

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Track #10: Servers of Babylon

Sung to the tune of "Rivers of Babylon" by Boney M

A tribute to data servers and the data centers that house them, which are mushrooming across the globe. Nevermind that environmentalists and conservationist have labelled these 'abominations' as a 'bane' due to their massive consumption of energy and water, along with growing e-waste. Why cry rivers for water conservation and climate change goals, when there is moolah and a treasure trove of wealth to be amassed by multi million dollar corporations and powerful governments.

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Track #11: AI-vana

Sung to the tune of "Havana" by Camilla Cabello

“AI‑Vana, Ooh Na‑Na…Half of My Data's in AI‑Vana Ooh Na-Na”. Or maybe all of it is. The magical world of AI has stolen more than just your heart.

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Track #12: (Un)Comfortably Dumb

Sung to the tune of "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd

And finally, as a closing track, a song that showcases the sad realisation that over-dependence on AI could possibly leave the current generation and the ones coming after dumber, helpless, and without control over their lives.

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Some honourable mentions that almost made it to the list:-

AI of the Tiger

sung to the tune of "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor

Algorithm Divine

sung to the tune of "Rhythm Divine" by Enrique Iglesias

Everybody Codes

sung to the tune of "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.

There you go readers! Hope you liked the tracklist. Hum along if you feel like.

And do feel free to add your own song recommendations in the comments section below.

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026

DIGITAL DESPAIR

Aneesa: Hi there.

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Good morning, Ms. Aneesa Memon, Employee ID: 51893. Thank you for reaching out to Sir Fix-a-Lot, your friendly IT troubleshooting assistant. How can I help you?

Aneesa: Hi, this is a follow-up on an issue I had raised about my laptop last morning. The issue has not been resolved yet.

Sir Fix-a-Lot: I am so sorry for the inconvenience you are going through. But don't worry. I have a 99% issue resolution record. Can you specify the issues you are facing?

Aneesa: I shared all details, along with screenshots, photographs and other documentation yesterday itself. I would request you to refer to the same.

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Have you raised a ticket for this issue. To know how to raise a ticket, click --> LINK

Aneesa: Yes, I have already raised a ticket. The ticket number is LP121030387.

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Sorry, but there is no open ticket corresponding with the number that you have entered. Please check and enter the correct number.

<After 10 seconds of no activity>

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Hello Aneesa. Are you still online?

Aneesa: Yes, yes. Give me a minute to recheck the number and respond please.

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Of course Aneesa. <Starts countdown timer for 60 seconds>

Aneesa: Hi. I have checked the number. It is correct. Ticket number LP121030387.

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Ticket number LP121030387 was resolved and closed at 16:55:03 HRS last evening.

Aneesa: HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??? HOW CAN YOU CLOSE A TICKET WHEN AN ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED??? PLEASE RE-OPEN THE TICKET!!!

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Don't worry Aneesa. A troubleshooting ticket can certainly be re-opened in case of a lingering issue or an issue that has not been completely resolved. Would you like me to re-open the ticket?

Aneesa: YES PLEASE!

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Please enter the two-digit code received on your Authenticator App.

<After 10 seconds of no activity>

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Hello Aneesa. Are you still online?

Aneesa: Yes. I need a moment to check the app.

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Of course Aneesa. <Starts countdown timer for 60 seconds>

Aneesa: Hi. I haven't received any code. Can you please resend the same?

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Of course Aneesa. You will receive a fresh code in about 30 seconds.

Aneesa: <Enters the code>

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Thank you for reaching out to Sir Fix-a-Lot, your friendly IT troubleshooting assistant. Your ticket has now been re-opened.

<After 10 seconds of no activity>

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Hello Aneesa. Are you still online?

Aneesa: Yes! I thought you would start resolving the issue now that the ticket has been re-opened.

<After a 30-second pause>

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Have you tried restarting your device?

Aneesa: WHAT??? I CAN'T BELIEVE A BOT IS SAYING THIS TO ME! I HAVE RESTARTED MY DEVICE AT LEAST A DZN TIMES SINCE LAST MRNG!

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Sorry. I don't understand. What is "DZN" and what is "MRNG"?

Aneesa: I MEANT TO SAY THAT I HAVE RESTARTED MY DEVICE AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES SINCE LAST MORNING!

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Sorry. I understand your concern. Please try clearing your cache.  

Aneesa: Cache cleared. The PC is still lagging.

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Have you tried logging out of the VPN connection and re-connecting?

Aneesa: I believe that was the last thing I did last evening before the ticket status changed to resolved. I don't want to go through that again.

<After a 30-second pause>

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Unfortunately this is a part of the PC health check protocol. Please log out of the current VPN connection and re-connect.

Aneesa: ASTAGHFIRULLAH! NO! Is this how you maintain your 99% resolution record???

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Sorry. I don't understand.

<After 10 seconds of no activity>

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Hello Aneesa. Are you still online?

<After another 10 seconds>

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Hello Aneesa. Are you still online?

<Another 10 seconds pass>

Sir Fix-a-Lot: I presume your issue has now been resolved. Please confirm in the next 10 seconds, failing which the status of this ticket will change to 'Resolved' and will be closed. <Starts countdown timer for 10 seconds>

Aneesa: Can you connect me with a human tech support executive?

Sir Fix-a-Lot: I'm sorry that I was unable to meet your expectations. We have a 99% issue resolution record. Can you specify reasons for your dis-satisfaction?

Aneesa: I'm not dis-satisfied! I just think it might be easier to interact with a human. PLEASE connect me with a human!

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Certainly Aneesa. But before that, please rate our interaction on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "highly dis-satisfied" and 5 being "highly satisfied".

Aneesa: NOT NOW PLEASE!

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Your feedback will only help us get better.

Aneesa: Okay then. Three.

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Thank you for your feedback.

Aneesa: Please connect me with a human.

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Certainly. Please follow the steps below to transfer the job to a human:

1. Log out of the VPN and log back in. 
2. Restart your PC.
3. At the welcome screen, enter the two-digit code that shows up on your Authenticator App.
4. Unscramble and enter the captcha characters that appear on the next screen.
5. A 6x6 image grid will appear on the next screen. Select three images that correspond with your favourite animals, followed by one corresponding with your favourite political party to proceed to the next screen. Be careful not to select any wrong options, otherwise the entire process will need to be repeated again and your details will be emailed to your local police station.

Please respond with a YES to affirm that you have understood the process.

<10 seconds pass>

Sir Fix-a-Lot: Hello Aneesa. Are you still online? Hello? ANEESA?

This post is a part of the BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026