Lakshmi Varanasi
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Lakshmi Varanasi is a reporter at Business Insider. She writes about innovations in AI, the future of work, and the tech industry’s most powerful players. Before Business Insider, she worked at outlets including Slate, Politico, and Reveal, covering everything from the publishing industry to consumer data breaches at Amazon.
Have a tip or a story? Contact Lakshmi Varanasi via email at lvaranasi@businessinsider.com or lvaranasi.70 on Signal.
Recent Stories
What was once an inspiring rallying cry, and then a meme, is now either a fun symbol of AI ambition or a threat to all of humanity.
AI 2025-12-07T22:47:41.642Z
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis says AI scaling 'must be pushed to the maximum'
Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis says AI scaling is key to reaching AGI, a still theoretical version of AI that reasons as well as humans.
AI 2025-12-06T22:01:19.002Z
Users say they are seeing ads on ChatGPT. OpenAI says it's not true.
OpenAI's head of ChatGPT, Nick Turley, said OpenAI is not conducting any live tests for ads on the platform.
AI 2025-12-06T18:42:10.014Z
Anthropic's resident philosopher shares her tips to create the best AI prompts
Amanda Askell, a member of Anthropic's technical team and a trained philosopher, shared some pro-tips for getting the most of AI chatbots.
AI 2025-12-04T18:17:52.892Z
Meta Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun says the Big Tech giant won't be investing in his new startup
Meta Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun is leaving Meta to launch his own AI startup. He said Meta would be a partner, but not an investor.
AI 2025-12-03T23:58:38.392Z
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei drags OpenAI and Google: 'We don't have to do any code reds'
Anthropic's CEO said his company is avoiding the kind of battles OpenAI and Google are fighting by targeting AI for enterprise instead of consumers.
Tech 2025-12-01T10:33:04.133Z
Sundar Pichai says Google will start building data centers in space, powered by the sun, in 2027
Google announced Project Suncatcher earlier this month. CEO Sundar Pichai now says it could begin building data centers in space as soon as 2027.
Careers 2025-11-27T22:55:45.991Z
The list of major companies laying off staff this year includes Verizon, IBM Amazon, Starbucks, American Airlines, and more
Layoffs have hit companies from American Airlines to Meta to Intel this year amid a backdrop of cost-cutting and technological change.
Tech 2025-11-27T12:00:08.865Z
6 leading humanoid robot companies worth watching
From Boston Dynamics to Tesla, US companies are racing to build humanoid robots that can automate everything from factory work to folding laundry.
Tech 2025-11-26T20:42:29.898Z
What's next for Google's AI team? Sundar Pichai says he hopes they 'get a bit of rest.'
"I think some folks need some sleep," CEO Sundar Pichai said on a recent Google podcast about the company's Gemini 3 launch and AI ambitions.
Tech 2025-11-23T19:57:30.324Z
Fei-Fei Li, the 'Godmother of AI' whose startup is now valued at north of $1 billion, got her start as a dry cleaner
Fei-Fei Li says her immigrant experience helped shape her approach to AI research.
Careers 2025-11-22T21:36:18.120Z
McKinsey, BCG, and Deloitte's new competition is small, fast, and driven by AI
These upstart consulting firms are specialized and have an AI-first philosophy, helping them compete with established players like McKinsey.
Careers 2025-11-17T10:01:01.234Z
How to land a consulting job these days, according to 'Case in Point' author Marc Cosentino
"Case in Point" author Marc Cosentino says consulting job candidates need to focus on confidence, communication, and creative ideas.
Economy 2025-11-16T22:21:36.993Z
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Trump's $2,000 tariff checks might need a congressional OK
Donald Trump has proposed sending $2,000 tariff checks to many Americans. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that might need a congressional OK.
AI 2025-11-16T10:15:01.276Z
Managers managing managers is out. Managers managing AI agents is in.
A human AI agent manager may be the future of middle management.
Finance 2025-11-15T20:03:28.774Z
Former Fed official Adriana Kugler's stock trades trigger ethics referral to inspector general
Adriana Kugler, who stepped down from the federal reserve board in August, disclosed repeated stock trades in companies like Apple and Cava.
Careers 2025-11-14T19:58:36.983Z
Major companies continue to relocate to Texas
Texas has become a popular destination for companies, with many relocating their headquarters to the Lone Star State. Here's the list.
Tech 2025-11-13T20:18:50.423Z
One of Russia's first humanoid robots face-planted during its public debut
AIDOL, a 14-person Russian startup, told Business Insider it was surprised by the viral reaction to its robot's collapse this week.
Tech 2025-11-13T15:54:37.985Z
Meet Pavel Durov, the tech billionaire who founded Telegram, and just got a license to travel the world again
Pavel Durov's travel ban was lifted on November 10, meaning he's free to roam the world again.
Retail 2025-11-12T17:10:29.038Z
Here are the biggest companies that have followed Elon Musk out of Delaware
Elon Musk urged companies to ditch Delaware last year after a judge voided his $55 billion pay package.