COVER STORY This issue:  Already the world’s fastest man, Noah Lyles is bringing his speed, and showmanship to the Paris games. Noah Lyles should be a miserable human on this suffocatingly hot May morning near Orlando. Two nights earlier, the US sprint star was up until 3 a.m. in the Bahamas, waiting on a delayed drug test after a race. You can still spot fatigue under his eyes. Lyles, however, can summon social energy on demand…To understand the world we live in, read TIME.

In April, two Indian writers published an ode to their Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Titled “Forever in Our Hearts,” it recounts his achievements while singing his praises. Such gushing reverence captures the essence of Modi’s popularity at home and among Indians abroad. But it also points to some darker developments in the world’s largest democracy, as its citizens head to the polls. Many Indians respect Modi; others seem to worship him. He’s beloved by a large majority of the country, as evidenced by an approval rating that climbed to a new high of 75% earlier this year…

The Swedish Buy-Now-Pay-Later Company Klarna has become something of a poster child for the potential benefits of generative artificial intelligence. The company relies on AI to create and tailor promotional images and to draft marketing copy, saving millions of dollars. Earlier this year it said an AI chatbot assistant was doing the work of 700 human customer-service agents, which it forecast would boost profits by $40 million this year. Klarna’s approach…