- At the NDTV India.AI Summit 2026, Nandita Das shared her thoughts on the growing influence of AI
- Nandita raised concerns about built-in prejudices within technology
- Despite her concerns, Nandita remains open to learning and experimenting with new tools
At the NDTV India.AI Summit 2026, held at ITC Maurya in New Delhi, filmmaker and actor Nandita Das shared her thoughts on the growing influence of artificial intelligence in the creative world.
In a conversation with NDTV's Shiv Aroor, she reflected on how technology is reshaping cinema and artistic expression.
Speaking about creativity in the age of AI, Nandita recalled a time when filmmaking relied far less on technology.
She said, "Earlier, there were no monitors on sets. When you were shooting, only the cinematographer knew what was being shot. Some of the greatest films were made in an era when there were no monitors and technology was not very developed. We thought that now, with all this technology, films would become better. But I think we will go through a cycle where a lot of work will come out, and there will be quantity over quality. Then, when there is saturation, people will start admiring what human beings have done, because we are very unpredictable."
The host then spoke about the challenges filmmakers face today, including constant criticism and working within limited boundaries, and asked how far artificial intelligence could be trusted as a creative foundation.
Responding to this, Nandita raised concerns about built-in prejudices within technology. She said, "Human bias and prejudice come from us. We are the ones putting the data in. So whatever biases we have will be there, and AI will probably take a quantum leap and amplify them ten times."
Despite her concerns, Nandita made it clear that she remains open to learning and experimenting with new tools.
She said, "I would love to explore it. I would love to learn and see how it can enable, collaborate, and enhance the work we are doing. But it should be without losing social conscience, without losing creativity, and without turning films into a science."
She also spoke about how mainstream cinema has already become increasingly formula-driven. Referring to audience-testing agencies and feedback systems, she explained how creative decisions are often influenced by data and predictions.
She said, "When you make a mainstream film, you go to these agencies. They show it to a group of people, you have to fill in forms, and they suggest certain changes, which are then incorporated. It becomes like a science - you tweak it. It is not really your vision anymore."
Drawing a parallel with the future use of artificial intelligence, Nandita expressed concern that filmmakers may soon depend entirely on machines for creative decisions.
She said, "Now, you will simply give it to an AI and say, 'Tell me, will this make money? Is it hurting anyone's sentiments?' Whatever the prompt may be. 'Is this the right ending?' And it will give you five options. Slowly, art will become science. That will be very sad."
She concluded by highlighting the importance of human involvement in the creative process. Nandita said, "When we make a film, everyone - actors, cinematographers, and others - brings something to the table. That journey and that process is something people really enjoy."
As a director, she helmed Firaaq (2008), Manto (2018), and Zwigato (2023).
