India Must Shape Its Own AI Narrative: Shekhar Kapur at MICA

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], December 27: Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur on Sunday underscored the urgent need for India to develop its own narrative around artificial intelligence, cautioning against viewing the technology solely through Western lenses. He was speaking at a pre-summit event of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, hosted by MICA – The School of Ideas at its campus.

Titled “Empowering People with Responsible AI: Skills, Trust, and Access”, the programme was designed in a TEDx-style format and brought together policymakers, technologists, academics, creative professionals, industry leaders, and students. The discussions aligned closely with the broader agenda of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, which India will host in New Delhi in February next year, focusing on themes such as inclusion, safe and trusted AI, human capital development, and democratisation of AI resources.

Welcoming the participants, Jaya Deshmukh, Director and CEO of MICA, noted that public discourse on artificial intelligence often oscillates between fear and blind optimism. She observed that conversations around AI tend to frame it either as an existential threat to humanity or as a technological solution to all global challenges.

“Somewhere between these extremes lies the deeper question of how truth is created, how narratives emerge, and how technology is used responsibly,” she said, adding that MICA’s role goes beyond skill development to engaging with communication, creativity, culture, and community. According to her, while technology plays a critical role, it is human relationships and values that ultimately unlock meaningful impact.

A key highlight of the event was an in-depth conversation between Ms. Deshmukh and Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. Reflecting on dignity, productivity, and the societal implications of AI, Dr. Dhar emphasised that the future of artificial intelligence will not be shaped solely in laboratories or research institutions.

“It will be shaped in rooms like this, where people come together to share experiences, fears, and hopes about what the future might look like,” he said, highlighting the importance of inclusive and participatory dialogue in AI governance.

The programme featured 11 short talks spanning policy, rights, creativity, marketing, skills, and workforce readiness, followed by moderated question-and-answer sessions. Speakers included Avinash Dadhich, Founding Director of Dhirubhai Ambani University School of Law, who spoke on rights in an algorithm-driven society, and Adwait Mardikar, Founder of snappin.ai, who addressed ethical AI in customer engagement.

Industry perspectives were shared by professionals from Publicis Sapient and Sentisum, while creative viewpoints came from filmmakers and storytellers, including Shekhar Kapur.

In his address, Kapur reflected on identity and creativity in the age of AI, stating that artificial intelligence forces humanity to confront fundamental questions of selfhood and uncertainty. He stressed that India must build its own AI story rooted in its cultural context.

“We often see AI through a Western framework. India has technology and innovation, but we also need storytelling. Meaning is created through stories—that is how we understand the universe,” he said.

The event concluded with discussions on skills and workforce readiness and saw active participation from policymakers, startups, civil society representatives, and MICA’s faculty and students.

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