The conversation around artificial intelligence has rapidly moved from curiosity to urgency. Almost every company today wants to appear AI-driven, every pitch deck seems to mention automation, and every industry is racing to position itself as future-ready. But amid all the excitement, one uncomfortable question has quietly started surfacing, how much of this transformation is genuinely meaningful, and how much of it is simply “AI washing”?
That question shaped the opening conversation of Day 2 at Goafest 2026 during the session AI Washing: The Truth About AI, presented by Mediakart in association with The Times of India and Vijas Digital. Moderated by Shubhranshu Singh, Member of the Board of Directors, Effie LIONS Foundation & Forbes Most Influential Global CMO 2025, the panel brought together Gulrez Alam, Chief Revenue Officer, Affle; Niraj Ruparel, Creative Technology Lead, WPP & WPP Media; and Smriti Mehra, CEO, English and Business News, Network18. Together, they unpacked the growing gap between simply adopting AI tools and truly becoming AI-first organisations.
What made the discussion particularly timely was how familiar the current AI narrative has become across industries. Businesses today are under immense pressure to innovate quickly, automate aggressively and prove technological relevance. Yet beneath the buzzwords lies a far more complex reality, one where data quality, human creativity, trust and ethics continue to matter just as much as technology itself.
Alam approached the conversation from the lens of outcomes and accountability, arguing that AI holds little value unless it creates measurable efficiency and business impact. “AI is meaningful only when it delivers results and efficiency for clients; creativity and planning mean little without outcomes,” he said.
At the centre of Alam’s argument was the importance of quality data. Referencing the idea of “garbage in, garbage out,” he explained that AI systems are only as intelligent as the data powering them. But according to him, the role of data itself is also evolving. “Data must evolve from a rearview mirror into a GPS,” he said, highlighting how predictive intelligence is becoming far more valuable than retrospective analysis.
Alam also painted a picture of a future where AI moves beyond screens and integrates itself into everyday human experiences through wearables, AI-powered glasses and emotion-aware systems. “AI will increasingly understand emotions, gestures, and intent while enabling instant outputs in a ‘zero to fast’ world,” he added.
As automation accelerates, Alam pointed towards another emerging challenge for advertisers, identifying genuine human audiences online. “Advertisers will need to identify real human audiences while also engaging with AI bots working on behalf of humans,” he noted, reflecting the increasingly blurred boundaries between machine-driven and human-driven digital interactions.
Ruparel, meanwhile, focused on AI’s ability to democratise innovation and expand creative possibilities. According to him, AI is dramatically reducing the barriers between ideas and execution, enabling creative and technology teams to prototype and scale solutions much faster than before. “AI is unlocking massive opportunities for rapid prototyping and innovation, enabling creative and tech teams to build solutions faster and democratise access to creativity at scale,” he said.
He also highlighted how AI, combined with faster internet infrastructure, could accelerate immersive 3D, spatial and personalised digital experiences, especially for underserved and rural audiences that have historically remained outside mainstream innovation conversations.
Yet despite the excitement around emerging technologies, Ruparel repeatedly emphasised that technology alone cannot become the defining advantage. “Human creativity and original thinking will remain the true differentiators,” he said, stressing that AI-generated experiences and synthetic media still require emotional intelligence, strategic thinking and cultural understanding to become truly impactful.
For Ruparel, the future of AI adoption will ultimately depend on collaboration rather than isolated technological capability. Successful AI ecosystems, according to him, will require creative teams, technologists, strategists, clients and consumers to work together rather than operate in silos.
Mehra brought the discussion into the media and newsroom ecosystem, where AI is already beginning to reshape content production and consumption patterns. She noted that AI could fundamentally transform journalism from simple information dissemination into more intelligence-led storytelling experiences. “AI will transform news from information dissemination to intelligence-led storytelling, making content more personalised and multilingual, while human editorial judgment remains critical,” she said.
At the same time, Mehra acknowledged that despite the growing hype around AI adoption, most organisations are still experimenting rather than operating as fully AI-first businesses. “Most companies today are still in the experimental or partially deployed stage of AI adoption,” she observed, even as businesses continue using AI to improve speed, reduce costs and drive efficiency.
Importantly, Mehra also reinforced the media’s responsibility in questioning exaggerated AI claims and industry hype. “The media will continue questioning and verifying corporate AI claims and ‘AI washing,’” she said, underlining the importance of accountability and transparency as AI narratives continue dominating corporate conversations.
As digital ecosystems become increasingly automated, Mehra suggested that premium consumer experiences may slowly shift behind paywalls while brands continue rethinking engagement models in a fragmented attention economy.
What ultimately emerged from the session was a much-needed reminder that the future of AI cannot be defined by technology alone. While automation may continue reshaping advertising, media and consumer experiences at unprecedented speed, the conversation repeatedly returned to a more human reality- trust, creativity, judgment and authenticity still remain irreplaceable.
