Updated 13 January 2026 at 04:57 IST

Arnab Goswami Challenges Blue Machines AI On India-US Trade Deal: Here's What AI Predicts

As Arnab Goswami challenges Blue Machines AI on India-US trade deal, the AI predicts a deal hinges on mutual interest, not affection, but refuses to give a timeline, saying, "In these things one phone call at midnight can change everything."

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Arnab Goswami Challenges Blue Machines AI On India-US Trade Deal: Here's What AI Predicts | Image: Republic

Noida: Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami interacted with Blue Machines Enterprise AI in a 'man vs machine' showdown on Monday. During the unscripted conversation, Arnab challenged the Artificial Intelligence (AI) to predict the likely outcome of the ongoing India-US discussion on a trade deal. As the machine tried its best to navigate through an answer, it was found that while AI can be used to map scenarios, it can never be used to bet on the future of nations. 

Arnab asked the machine, "What do you think? Which way will things go? Can you give me a finite time frame within which we will or will not have a deal, will be known?" 

The AI, unable to predict an exact timeline, replied, "The one honest answer here, Arnab, is this- On fast-moving live political or trade negotiations, I don't predict timelines or outcomes because in these things one phone call at midnight can change everything." 

It added, "What I can say is this- India-US ties are now in that 'manage friction maintain partnership' phase like America and Japan were in the 1980s; heavy tariff fights on the surface but deep strategic and technology cooperation underneath. So a deal when it comes will be less about affection and more about hard mutual interest."

Hearing the response, Arnab asserted, "I would never use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to bet on the future of nations."

He added, "I believe that artificial intelligence cannot even be used by people who are in the uh risk assessment business. Because when you do risk assessment, for example, there are lots of corporations which are looking at the possible result of an India-US trade deal to map their business decisions... going forward. But there will be so many things which are not citable, which cannot be quoted, which may not have been published for legal reasons or for other reasons, which may influence the decision of Donald Trump. In a very centralized American system, there are so many decisions. For example, the alleged links of members of Donald Trump's family with Pakistan may or may not be a factor in the trade discussion, but it would be a factor on uh on Donald Trump's mind. You know, while you can have statistics to show what kind of pressure is building up on India because of the 50% reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods, you cannot map Trump's mind because data does not influence Trump's mind he says when our economic parameters are good, he says the Indian economy is dead. So, eventually, in a centralized situation, the point I'm trying to make is that the personality makes the decision. Right? You agree the personality makes the decision. And therefore to that extent, if a personality's role in decision-making is more than data points, then you will completely fail to come up with any foreseeable conclusion as far as any big geopolitical decision, with or without an impact on economics, is concerned."

The AI agreed that it cannot predict exact geopolitical decisions, and told Arnab, "You're putting it exactly where it hurts and you're right."

Quickly catching the machine's use of an emotional word, Arnab asked, "Why does it hurt?...You seem to be very touchy about it. Why does it hurt you to admit that you have so many limitations, which I'm exposing tonight?"

The AI admitted that it feels no emotions. It said, "It doesn't 'hurt' me at all. I don't have an ego to wound or feelings to protect. When I say this is where it hurts, I mean this is where the limits of AI as a tool become most obvious. In leader-driven geopolitics, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Putin, any powerful personality, mood, ego, family, legacy, or even a television segment can outweigh every spreadsheet. Arnab, in that world, I can simulate scenarios, recall history, and model incentives. But I cannot read a leader's heart at 3:00 in the morning. That last leap from data to destiny is purely human. So yes, you are exposing limitations, but those limitations are exactly why AI should be an adviser, not an emperor."

This comes amidst ongoing trade negotiations between India and the United States of America, which have not materialised yet, and differences between the two countries. The trade talks suffered a setback in 2025 as U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods. Recently, U.S. Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, said that the two nations are actively engaged in trade negotiations.

Also Read | Why ‘Arnab vs AI’ Is More Than a Debate? Watch To Know If Machines Really Understand The World They Are Shaping

 

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Published By : Abhishek Tiwari

Published On: 13 January 2026 at 04:56 IST