Over the past few weeks, several actors, including Rakul Preet Singh and Shriya Saran, have spoken out about the growing menace of fake social media accounts and the circulation of AI-generated images. Their concerns have reignited conversations around consent, authorship, and the ethical boundaries of rapidly advancing technology.
Against this backdrop, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s earlier comments on artificial intelligence feel especially relevant. Speaking at a past edition of Synapse 2025, Kashyap had reflected on the impact of AI on creativity, stressing that the true value of art lies in the act of creation rather than in automated outcomes.
“There is a very beautiful thing about creating — it’s the process,” Kashyap had said. “AI is very result-oriented, and I don’t want to lose the joy of the process. I don’t care about the results.” His comments underscored a long-held belief that art should remain driven by curiosity, failure, and emotional instinct rather than speed or optimisation.
The session also featured filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane, who spoke about his then-upcoming film Control, a story centred on an influencer who turns to AI-powered software to rewrite her digital identity after a breakup. While Motwane expressed enthusiasm for experimenting with new technology, he also warned against unchecked corporate control over creative tools, stressing the need to consciously balance innovation with responsibility.
Looking back, the conversation captured a moment when filmmakers were beginning to openly question how deeply AI should be allowed to shape artistic expression. For Kashyap, the concern was less about rejecting technology and more about safeguarding the freedom, chaos, and pleasure of the creative journey — elements he believes are essential to meaningful cinema. The Synapse Conference, founded and hosted by Shoma Chaudhury explored topics such as the future of war, human relationships with AI as friends and therapists, geopolitics, the godfathers of AI, cutting-edge neuroscience, and more