Edge AI and Everyday Trust: A Conversation with Dr. Rajesh Natarajan,CTO of Gorilla Technology

Edge AI isn’t just about chips, code, or buzzwords. It’s about how technology can touch daily life. On a street corner. In a classroom. Deep in a rainforest.

Few understand this better than Dr. Rajesh Natarajan, CTO of Gorilla Technology. He was a product leader at Microsoft before moving to a startup. He has spent his career watching AI promises meet human realities, trust, safety, public good.

From traffic lights in busy cities to protecting the Amazon, he focuses on intelligence at the “edge.” That means processing data where it is collected. Powerful. Invisible.

We sat down with Raj for a candid conversation. We talked about what happens when AI leaves the lab and enters daily life. The trust it builds. The fears it sparks. And the choices that decide if Edge AI empowers people, or controls them.

Edge AI and its impact

Dr. Natarajan, welcome. It’s great to have you with us. You’ve led technology efforts at Microsoft, and now at Gorilla, you’re shaping how cities and governments adopt Edge AI. For most people, though, “Edge AI” still sounds like jargon. From your own work, can you share a moment when this technology genuinely changed daily life for a community or a city? And what did that mean to you personally?

Dr. Raj Natarajan: One story that comes to mind is from a city we worked with that had a serious problem with traffic violations: red-light running, speeding through school zones, reckless driving. But it wasn’t just about breaking rules. It was about lives being put at risk every single day. 

Instead of relying on people to watch endless camera feeds or waiting for reports after the fact, we brought intelligence into the street cameras. Suddenly, violations were flagged the moment they happened. Drivers who ran red lights knew there would be consequences, and speeding near schools dropped sharply. It wasn’t a person watching; it was the city itself acting with awareness. 

What stayed with me wasn’t the reduction in numbers, although that was impressive, it was the human impact. Parents felt safer by letting their children walk to school. Pedestrians told us they felt more confident crossing the road. The streets felt less chaotic, and more like they belonged to the community again. 

That same principle extended into schools themselves, where we brought Edge AI into Safe City programs. The question wasn’t traffic; it was children’s safety inside classrooms and playgrounds. With intelligence at the edge, schools could detect risks in real time: unauthorized entry, a suspicious object left behind, or even early signs of bullying or altercations. Teachers told us they felt more supported, parents said they had greater confidence sending their kids to school, and the schools themselves remained open and vibrant, with safety as an invisible but ever-present shield. 

And what inspires me is that this idea doesn’t stop at city streets or school gates.  

It’s the same philosophy behind Gorilla’s role in the ONE Amazon initiative. There, we use Edge AI to monitor millions of hectares of rainforest: detecting fires, illegal logging, and threats to biodiversity in real time. Just like in a city, it’s about trust: local communities need to know their environment is being protected, not exploited. 

For me, that’s the bigger story. Whether it’s a child walking to school or an endangered species in the Amazon, Edge AI is at its best when it quietly restores confidence, when it gives people, and even nature itself, a chance to thrive without fear. That’s when technology stops being about machines and becomes about trust. 

Dr. Natarajan, let’s be honest. The moment people hear about AI that can “see” and “decide,” their first thought isn’t excitement; it’s: Are we being watched? How do you personally reconcile the promise of Edge AI with those very real fears about privacy and control? And when people push back, how do you win their trust?

Dr. Natarajan: The concern around privacy is real, and it should be. Whenever technology can see, sense, or decide, people have every right to ask: who is in control, and what happens to my data? 

For me, the balance comes from remembering why we build these systems in the first place. Edge AI allows us to process data locally, right where it’s collected, so we don’t need to send everything to a distant cloud. That means sensitive information, whether it’s video of a child at a crosswalk or records moving across a government network, can stay close to home, used only for the moment it’s needed. 

A good example of this is the work we’re doing with a government in the Middle East to connect 32,000 edge-enabled branches to an air-gapped network. In a system like that, privacy and sovereignty aren’t just features, they’re non-negotiable. Information must remain contained, secure, and trustworthy, with no dependence on outside systems. Edge intelligence makes that possible. It ensures that data serves the people it belongs to, without ever being exposed unnecessarily. 

Yes, I’ve seen resistance, especially at the start. Communities and governments alike want assurance that technology is here to serve them, not watch them. And I think that’s fair. The way we address it is by being transparent. We explain not just what the system does, but also what it doesn’t do. We set clear rules on retention, on who has access, and we make privacy a design principle, not an afterthought. 

At the end of the day, trust isn’t built by the sophistication of the technology; it’s built by the choices we make around it. If people feel safer and more respected at the same time, then we’ve struck the right balance. 

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As AI becomes more embedded in public infrastructure, what surprising challenges have you faced that no amount of technical preparation could have predicted? 

Dr. Natarajan: What surprised me most wasn’t the technical side; it was the human side. You can prepare for latency, bandwidth, integration issues, all of that. But what you can’t always prepare for is how people react when technology suddenly becomes part of their daily lives. 

In one city, when we introduced systems to monitor traffic and improve safety, the immediate pushback wasn’t about accuracy or performance; it was about trust. People worried, “Is this just another way to watch us?” This wasn’t in the specifications sheet, but it was real.  

Another challenge we did not anticipate fully was how quickly behavior changes once people know the system is there. Drivers started following rules more strictly, but that also meant new patterns in traffic flow that planners hadn’t considered. We had to adapt on the fly.  

For me, these moments were a reminder that technology doesn’t land in a vacuum, it lands in human lives, with all their emotions, fears, and habits. The hardest problems are not the algorithm, but the conversations and trust-building that surround them. That’s the part no technical blueprint can prepare you for, but it’s also where the real impact lies.  

Leadership, Innovation, and Career Journey 

Shifting gears a bit, your career has moved from global tech giants like Microsoft to a startup shaping the future of AI at Gorilla. Through all those pivots, what lessons from your Microsoft days still influence how you lead today? 

Dr. Natarajan: My journey hasn’t been a straight line; it’s been a series of pivots where the common thread was curiosity and persistence. Early in my career, I thought leadership meant having all the answers. It didn’t take me long to realize that I am not the smartest person in the room, and the collective’s strength was much bigger. It was about creating space for others to find answers and giving them the confidence to take risks.  

One of the greatest lessons I carried forward from Microsoft was resilience. I saw that the most meaningful innovations don’t happen overnight. They require perseverance and the ability to play the long game without being overwhelmed by short-term noise. At the same time, I also learned the importance of delivering ROI quickly, showing impact early is key to sustaining trust and fueling the longer journey.  

Innovation has never been about chasing the next buzzword. It is about listening to customers, communities, and even the frustrations inside your own team. Some of the best breakthroughs I’ve been part of didn’t start in a lab; they started by someone saying, “There has to be a better way than this.” 

When I look back at my career, I don’t measure it in titles or roles. I measure it in moments: the first time I saw technology help protect a family, the first time a young engineer I mentored led a breakthrough, the first time my customer shook my hand and said, “This has changed the way we work.” 

If there’s one lesson I carry forward into my leadership at Gorilla, it’s this: Leadership and innovation are not always about being ahead of the curve, they are about moving with purpose, proving value at every step, and bringing people along with you. That’s what gives the journey meaning, and that’s what makes it sustainable.  

It is said that Leadership isn’t just about hitting targets or launching projects; it’s about navigating the messy, unpredictable moments. Can you share a time when something went off course, maybe a project or a team challenge, and it forced you to rethink what success meant completely? What was running through your mind in that moment, and how did you find your way forward?

Dr. Natarajan: There was a moment early in my journey when a major project I was leading faced unexpected resistance. Technically everything worked, but people weren’t ready to embrace it and the change it brought forward. At first, I saw it as a failure. I thought success was simply about delivering what we promised.  

But going through that experience reshaped how I see leadership. It taught me that success isn’t only about what you build, it’s about the trust you earn. I had to slow down, listen more, and bring people into the process of change. That tested my resolve because it meant admitting that persistence alone wasn’t enough; I had to balance it with empathy and patience.  

In the end, that project found its footing, not because of the technology, but because we rebuilt confidence step by step. It reminded me that resilience is not just about pushing harder, it’s about staying present, adjusting your path, and never losing sight of the big picture.  

That experience changed how I define success. Today, I don’t measure it by speed or perfection; I measure it by whether we move forward together and whether the impact lasts.  

Leadership is about beginning with the end in mind, but having the resilience to take every setback as part of the path to get there.  

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So, if I’m hearing you right, innovation is really about taking risks, but not just blindly. How do you make sure your team feels bold while still staying accountable and focused?

Dr. Natarajan: For me, innovation isn’t about reckless risk-taking; it’s about creating space where people feel safe to try, but also clear on why they’re trying. At Gorilla, I encourage bold ideas, but I anchor them in purpose. When the team knows the end goal, they are willing to stretch the extra mile and experiment. They understand what’s at stake.  

Accountability is the other side of the coin. Boldness without discipline can quickly become chaos. So, we keep focus by setting milestones where we can measure progress, deliver value early, and course-correct if needed. It’s not about punishing failure, it’s about learning fast and moving forward with intent.  

The culture I want to build is one where people don’t ask, “Will I get into trouble if this doesn’t work?” but instead ask, “How will this help us move closer to the future we are building?” That shift from fear to purpose creates boldness with accountability, and innovation with direction. Innovation is bold but never blind; its courage is tied to purpose.  

Personal Reflections and Influences 

Outside of work, are there particular books, podcasts, or mentors that have shaped how you think about technology and leadership? Could you share a quote or insight that you return to often? 

Dr. Natarajan: I’ve always believed that learning is a lifelong pursuit, and I draw inspiration from many places. Books have been a big part of that. Titles like “Leadership and Self-Deception,” “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” and “Good to Great” have all influenced how I think about leadership and growth. What I took from them wasn’t a step-by-step manual, but the challenge to look inward and ask harder questions of myself. Am I leading with clarity? Or, if I am building teams that trust one another? Am I focused on what really makes us great, rather than just what makes us look busy? Those books reminded me that leadership is less about position and more about perspective.  

For me, every touchpoint in life, regardless of the level, role, or age difference, has been an opportunity to learn. I’ve always believed that wisdom is everywhere if you are willing to listen. Some of the most important lessons I’ve carried forward didn’t come from boardrooms, but from hallway conversations, from watching how a colleague handled pressure, or even from a team member pointing out a blind spot I hadn’t seen. That diversity of thought is what I try to absorb and internalize to frame my own leadership style.  

One moment of mentorship that has stayed with me

It came from my time at IBM, when I was in my early twenties. I was ambitious, eager to prove myself, and I thought success meant building the most impressive solution possible. I got a piece of advice I’ll never forget: “When somebody wants to go from Point A to Point B, don’t build them a Ferrari when a Ford Pinto would suffice.” At first, I laughed at the analogy, but over time, I realized it was profound. Technology isn’t about showing off capability; it’s about meeting people where they are, solving the problem at the right scale, and delivering value they can use right away.  

That lesson grounded me. It reshaped how I approach innovation and leadership. It taught me that sometimes the most significant impact doesn’t come from building the flashiest solution, but from building the right one. Even today at Gorilla, when we talk about innovation, I often go back to these words. They remind me that our job is not to overwhelm with complexity, but to empower with clarity.  

The path to leadership can be winding. Looking back, is there advice you wish you had received early in your career that you now share with others? 

Dr. Natarajan: Looking back, the advice I wish I had received early on is simple: don’t confuse speed with progress. In the early stages of my career, I was always in a hurry to prove myself, to deliver more, and to get to the next milestone or the next big thing. What I’ve learned over time is that leadership isn’t a sprint, it’s a journey of resilience and persistence.  

I often tell younger professionals to begin with the end in mind. Know what you are working towards, but don’t get overwhelmed if the path takes unexpected turns. Success is rarely a straight line. It’s made up of pivots, setbacks, and moments of doubt that ultimately shape you. What matters most is not that you never stumble, but that you learn how to stand back up with purpose.  

And perhaps the most crucial piece of advice I share now is this: leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about creating space for others to grow. The sooner you realize that your role is to guide and coach and not to control, the more impact you will have.  

If someone had told me this in my early 20s, I might have spent less energy chasing perfection and more time focusing on building trust, listening deeply, and playing the long game.  

Leading in a fast-moving industry sounds exhausting. How do you actually keep your balance and stay grounded when everything around you is moving at lightning speed?

Dr. Natarajan: The pace of the industry can be overwhelming if you let it. There is always a new breakthrough, a new challenge, a new fire to put out. For me, the balance comes from remembering why I’m here in the first place. I don’t measure my days by how many issues I’ve tackled; I measure them by whether I moved us closer to the purpose we set out to achieve.  

I’ve also learned to zoom out when things feel intense. It’s easy to get caught in the noise of the short term, but leadership is about perspective. I remind myself that most storms feel bigger in the moment than they do in hindsight. Beginning with the end in mind helps me stay grounded. If I know where we are heading, I can accept the detours along the way without losing focus.  

On a personal level, balance also means having anchors outside of work. For me, that’s time with family, moments of quiet reflection, or even just reading something that has nothing to do with technology. These pauses give me clarity, and clarity gives me the strength to show up fully for my team.  

In the end, I don’t think balance is about avoiding pressure; it’s about carrying it with perspective so that it fuels you rather than consumes you.  

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When you envision the future of cities powered by AI, what excites you the most? What keeps you awake at night? 

Dr. Natarajan: What excites me most is the idea of cities that don’t just react but anticipate. Imagine traffic lights that adjust in real time to reduce congestion, energy grids that balance themselves to save both cost and carbon, public safety systems that prevent incidents before they escalate, and services that adapt to the needs of citizens without them having to ask. A city powered by AI can be more human because it frees people from friction and gives them back time, safety, and dignity. That’s the future I want to see.  

What keeps me awake at night is not the technology itself, but how we use it. Will it be deployed responsibly, and will privacy be respected? Will it serve everyone equally, or only those who can afford it? A city is not just infrastructure, its people, and if we lose sight of that, even the smartest systems risk widening divides instead of closing them.  

So, I live with both feelings, the excitement of what’s possible, and the responsibility of making sure we don’t get it wrong. To me, leadership in this space means holding both at once, pushing innovation forward while never letting go of the human trust that makes it worthwhile.  

Dr. Natarajan, my last question to you, if you had to boil it all down, the promise, the risks, everything, what’s the one thing you really want people to take away about Edge AI?

Dr. Natarajan:  If there is one thing I want readers to understand, it’s that Edge AI is not just about smarter machines; it’s about wiser choices.

The promise is extraordinary: decisions made in real-time, systems that adapt to human needs, and communities that become safer and more connected. But the pitfalls are just as real.

Edge AI has the power to seamlessly integrate into daily life, quietly enhancing safety, convenience, and resilience.

But its true success will be measured not by how advanced the technology becomes, but by how much dignity and trust it preserves along the way.  

The choice is ours to make. We can let Edge AI be a tool that widens divides, or we can shape it into a force that brings people closer to the future they deserve. That is the responsibility I carry, and it’s the conversation I hope we all continue.   

The promise of Edge AI is real-time intelligence. Its actual test is whether it can deliver that intelligence with dignity and trust.  

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