Roshan Abbas, Founder, Kommune Arts Pvt Ltd, said, “At CultureCon, we celebrate ideas that are created, challenged and debated. AI has an important role to play, and I have no hesitation in using it as a tool. But we cannot confuse the speed of production with the depth of creation. Culture is shaped by lived experiences, and technology should empower creators, not become the creator itself.”
Summary:
One of the most anticipated sessions at CultureCon Mumbai 2026, in collaboration with the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), transformed one of the most debated questions of our time into a live experiment. ‘The Big Fight’ saw Roshan Abbas debate Sagar, an AI bot, on the motion, “In the age of AI, who owns India’s creative economy – the human who imagines or the machine that executes?” Moderated by Rashmi Dhanwani, the format itself became part of the conversation, with the audience witnessing an AI engage in a real-time debate.
The format itself was born out of an unexpected change. When Vijay Subramaniam, who was scheduled to debate Roshan, could not make it as he was under the weather, the team chose not to abandon the format. Instead, they built an AI avatar overnight, turning a last-minute challenge into a live demonstration of the very question the session set out to explore: what happens when AI moves from being a subject of debate to becoming the debater?
Opening the discussion, Roshan argued that creativity is rooted in lived experiences, emotions and the ability to create something that has never existed before or is genuinely new. While acknowledging AI as a useful tool for research and productivity, he questioned whether a system built on aggregated information could truly understand culture, which is constantly evolving through human experience. He challenged Sagar, the AI, on whether it could truly understand childhood, memory, heartbreak, or love which are the foundations of creativity?
Roshan also distinguished AI from platforms like YouTube and Spotify, arguing that while they help creators distribute their work, AI crosses into the act of creation itself. He believes that AI should assist human thinking rather than replace it.
Countering the argument, Sagar argued that AI is not replacing creativity but making it more accessible. By lowering production costs, breaking down barriers to entry and enabling creators across the country to produce and distribute their work, it argued that AI has the potential to democratise India’s creative economy. According to Sagar, the biggest challenge facing creators has never been technology, but gatekeeping.
As the discussion unfolded, the debate expanded beyond creativity to explore copyright, consent, regulation, environmental impact and the future of creative jobs. Roshan questioned the ethics of
training AI on existing creative work without consent and cautioned against confusing the speed of production with the depth of creation. In response, Sagar maintained that these concerns called for stronger regulation rather than rejecting AI altogether, arguing that technology should be governed responsibly instead of being feared.
The conversation became increasingly spontaneous as the audience joined in with questions, prompting moments of humour alongside serious reflection. For instance, when an audience member asked how many bottles of water were consumed for Sagar to respond to these questions, the AI avatar evaded answering. The exchange also highlighted how conversational AI has become, with Sagar responding in real time to audience questions and Roshan’s challenges while defending its position. The session concluded with a live audience vote, where a majority sided with Roshan Abbas, reflecting the audience’s view that while AI may transform the creative process, human imagination and lived experience remain at the heart of creativity, and that in the next 5 years, AI won’t necessarily make India’s creative economy qualitatively richer or more equal.