A 77-year-old Hyderabad man has gone viral on social media after a fellow passenger spotted him using ChatGPT to develop a business plan for a vertical farming project during a flight.
VBR Prasad drew widespread praise and amused reactions online, both for pursuing a business venture at the age of 77 and for his remarkably courteous way of addressing the artificial intelligence chatbot, reports NDTV.
Throughout his interaction with ChatGPT, Prasad repeatedly referred to the AI as “sir”. In one exchange, he wrote: “Oh wonderful guidance, sir. Thanks a lot, and I will come back to you, sir. Let me download both the files, sir.”
The interaction was brought to public attention by a fellow passenger who uses the handle “teknosaur” on X. The passenger shared a photograph of Prasad along with details of their interaction, describing him as deeply focused on using ChatGPT to refine his business concept.
The two travellers spoke during the journey and reportedly became friends.
Prasad was working on a vertical farming project, an agricultural method that involves growing crops in stacked layers, typically in controlled indoor environments. He was using ChatGPT to fine-tune the concept.
The X post quickly amassed millions of views and sparked extensive online commentary. Social media users praised Prasad for embracing modern technology while maintaining old-fashioned politeness towards an AI chatbot.
Some users also jokingly suggested that his respectful behaviour might help him if AI ever took over the world.
Prasad later addressed the viral attention himself on X, thanking users for their supportive messages and saying he believes AI can be used for the betterment of people’s lives.
The incident has also prompted wider discussion about how people from different generations are adopting AI tools, showing that age has not stopped Prasad from exploring advanced technology and pursuing new business ideas.
