Popular actor Rana Daggubati has sparked debate at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi after a blunt remark about the future of cinema in the age of AI. While interacting with the media on the sidelines of the event (in a brief walking exchange captured on video by ANI), Daggubati said AI will replace all of us quite quickly when asked about the growing influence on movies.
The comment was made informally as the actor was moving between sessions at Bharat Mandapam, where the summit is being held from February 16 to 20. Even in that short interaction, his statement reflected his long-held view that technological disruption in entertainment is inevitable. This is not the first time he had been vocal about the technology and its influence on Indian cinema.
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Daggubati has previously compared the current AI wave to the early days of visual effects in Indian cinema. Two decades ago, he has noted, VFX faced heavy resistance from traditionalists who feared it would undermine filmmaking. Instead, it went on to become an integral part of mainstream storytelling. He believes AI is at a similar inflection point – disruptive, unsettling, but ultimately transformative.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 kicked off on February 16 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, and the turnout on day one shown that AI is no longer just a technical conversation, but a global one. The event, which runs until February 20, has brought together some of the biggest names in technology, as well as policymakers, researchers, and startups from around the world.
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Companies such as Google, OpenAI, Nvidia, and Qualcomm are showing what they’ve been working on, ranging from advanced AI models and enterprise tools to cutting-edge chip technology.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened the summit, pointing out India’s ambition to play a leading role in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem. The event’s overall theme revolves around three core ideas: People, Planet, and Progress, with a strong emphasis on keeping AI development human-centric.