Bill Gates wants governments to tax robots and artificial intelligence while protecting certain jobs exclusively for humans. The Microsoft co-founder’s warning arrives as AI systems rapidly absorb work once thought to require human judgment, and he argues that policymakers have failed to keep pace with a technology poised to reshape employment, security, and daily life.
Gates’s proposals include direct taxes on AI and automated systems, stronger safety nets for displaced workers, and deliberate carve-outs reserving specific roles for people rather than machines.
**Startup funding momentum continues**
Indian startups pulled in fresh capital across sectors this week. Bengaluru-based SugarStrings.ai launched a cheek-swab DNA test screening for more than 7,442 genetic disorders, positioning itself around privacy and accessibility.
Logistics platform TrucksUp secured $8.2 million in growth funding. Astrology startup InstaAstro raised $12 million in a Series A round led by Singularity AMC and Artha Venture Fund. Spacetech firm InspeCity landed Rs 100 crore from Speciale Invest, Antler India, and others.
Biryani Bees took $1 million from the Vivek Oberoi Family Office to expand from three outlets to ten across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. OORJAA raised Rs 9.7 crore to scale its AI logistics stack Datashastra. Agritech startup Velaan Mart collected Rs 1.26 crore from Next Bharat Ventures.
**Platforms and partnerships expand**
Swiggy’s Food on Train service grew 12-fold since 2024, reaching 201 railway stations. Meanwhile, Flipkart introduced Saarthi, a zero-cost advertising support program connecting sellers with certified agency partners like Accenture and Dentsu.
Honda and T-Hub launched Innovation Challenge 2.0 with up to Rs 4.8 crore in funding for digital mobility startups. Wipro expanded its Google Cloud partnership to deploy Gemini Enterprise across more than 10,000 AI-certified specialists.
Binance unveiled Agent OS, a developer platform giving AI applications controlled access to trading, wallet, and market data. WACKER established a Pune capability center with HCLTech, while Salesforce landed IndiaFirst Life as an Agentforce customer.
As AI adoption accelerates across finance, logistics, healthcare, and mobility, the tension between automation’s efficiency and its human toll now sits at the center of both corporate strategy and public policy.
