AI most democratic tech in film industry, says Shekhar Kapur at BS Manthan

BS Manthan: Shekhar Kapur says AI is the most democratic tech in films, calls it widely misunderstood and says it empowers young creators to make movies faster and cheaper

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a transformative force that is reshaping filmmaking, said actor and film director Shekhar Kapur.

 

Speaking on the topic 'Cinema in the Age of AI' at BS Manthan, Business Standard’s flagship event held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Kapur said that “AI is the most democratic technology" ever to come to film industry.

 

Speaking on the subject, Kapur said that AI is currently widely misunderstood. “AI is the most misunderstood word right now,” he noted, adding, “AI cannot work on unpredictability.” According to him, “AI is a sum of highly accomplished computerised predictability. It's not unpredictable.” He described AI as rapid, sweeping change, saying, “AI is nothing but change at an unprecedented pace.”

 

Kapur argued that AI will empower new creators. “AI will rise from the bottom of the pyramid because it rises intuition,” he said, suggesting that access to technology will allow more people to tell stories. “I take three years to make a film, a child with AI can make a film in just two days,” he added.

 

Looking ahead, he said conversations will soon move beyond AI to larger structural shifts. “By next year, we will move past discussions on AI. They will focus on ideas."

 

On creativity, he said, “Chaos is the understanding that there are no controls.” When asked how he chooses films, Kapur replied, “I don't choose, they choose me.”