Generative AI refers to models that learn statistical patterns from huge collections of text, images, audio or code, then produce new material resembling them. Language models such as GPT-4 and Claude predict the next word in a sequence, which after training lets them write essays and answer questions. Image models such as Midjourney and DALL·E turn text descriptions into pictures. Building these systems requires huge numbers of calculations on specialised chips, so the cost of training and running them has pushed spending into very large sums, mostly from big technology companies. Investment has risen sharply as firms race to build and sell these tools, and whether that spending pays off remains an open question.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.