Opinion: Why Gen X Must Police Authenticity In The Age Of AI

Updated: Jun 22, 2026 09:52 am IST Published On Jun 22, 2026 09:51 am IST Last Updated On Jun 22, 2026 09:52 am IST

Published On Jun 22, 2026 09:51 am IST

Last Updated On Jun 22, 2026 09:52 am IST

In the bazaars of Mughal India, the muhtasib walked the lanes each morning with a unique authority.

He carried no sword but only a set of weights and a practised eye. His tasks were unglamorous such as to check that the trader's scale was honest, that the ghee remained free of any added fat, that the silk sold as Banarasi was genuine, rather than cheaper cloth dressed up in a better story.

He was, in effect, the guarantor of trust in a marketplace where the buyer could rarely verify the seller's claim alone.

Civilisations have always needed someone whose job is to notice when something has been quietly substituted........

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