AI Creativity Debate Takes Centerstage: The annual independently organised TED event at NMIMS Mumbai takes on one of the defining questions of our time - what does it mean to be truly original in the age of artificial intelligence?
In a world where a prompt can generate a painting, a melody, or a business plan in seconds, the question of human creativity has never felt more urgent – or more contested. TEDxNMIMS, the independently organised TED event hosted by SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, is set to tackle this tension head-on precisely at its upcoming edition, themed Sui Generis: Reinventing Creativity in the Age of AI.

TEDxNMIMS is part of the global TEDx programme – a series of locally organised events that carry the spirit of TED's mission to spread ideas worth sharing. Under the guidance of dedicated professors, conceived and run entirely by students, the event has grown into one of Mumbai's most anticipated intellectual gatherings, bringing together thinkers, practitioners, and change-makers on a shared stage to challenge assumptions and spark conversations that outlast the day.

What Does 'Sui Generis' Mean and Why Does It Matter Now?
The Latin phrase sui generis means "of its own kind", something so unique it defies classification. It is a fitting provocation for a moment in history when generative AI systems can mimic virtually any human creative style. The theme asks a deceptively simple question: if machines can replicate the form of creativity, what remains that is irreducibly human?
This is not an abstract philosophical exercise. Across industries – advertising, music, literature, product design, medicine, and law - AI tools are reshaping what it means to create, author, and innovate. The theme challenges speakers and attendees alike to examine not just the disruption AI brings, but the deeper opportunity it presents: to look beyond the surface and rediscover what makes human perspective truly irreplaceable.

Diverse Voices Across Disciplines
This year's lineup spans disciplines in a way that mirrors the theme itself – no two voices alike. On the entrepreneurial and tech frontier, Ayush Bagga, Founder-CEO of iAmpact, and Namrata Chawla, Co-founder of mktgstack, bring practitioner perspectives on building purposefully in an AI-shaped world. Grounding the conversation in rigorous thought is Dr. Arjun Ghosh, Professor of Digital Humanities at IIT Delhi, Abu Dhabi, whose research sits at the intersection of AI, language, and knowledge. The human dimension of creativity finds voice through Dr. Rashi Agarwal, psychiatrist and mental health educator, and Maahi Rudawat, whose advocacy work redefines what strength and self-expression look like. Closing the event is a joint session by Rishabh Suri and Joel James, co-founders of Studio Blo – AI filmmakers who don't just talk about the future of creative expression, they're actively building it.
Together, the speakers represent a deliberately diverse cross-section of disciplines – a reflection of TEDxNMIMS's belief that the most interesting answers to big questions rarely come from a single field.

Why The AI Creativity Debate Matters
We are living through a period of profound creative disruption. Generative AI has democratised access to creative output in ways unimaginable even five years ago – lowering barriers, accelerating production, and prompting genuine anxiety about originality, authorship, and value. For students entering the workforce, entrepreneurs building new ventures, and artists navigating an industry in flux, these questions carry real professional and personal weight.

Globally, the pace of change has outrun regulation, education, and ethical consensus. Creative professionals are asking whether their skills will be augmented or replaced. Educators are wrestling with what originality even means. And researchers are pushing back on comfortable narratives, arguing that creativity is not a technical problem to be solved but a deeply human act shaped by culture, context, and intention.

TEDxNMIMS has always used its platform to cut through noise with nuanced, ideas-driven dialogue. With Sui Generis, the event moves past the familiar binary of "AI versus humans" - gathering voices as varied as a psychiatrist, an AI filmmaker, an advocate for visibility and inclusion, and a digital humanities scholar to ask richer questions: What is creativity, really? Where does it come from? And how does it evolve when our tools change fundamentally?

In an age that rewards speed and scale, that commitment to depth and distinctiveness may be the most sui generis idea of all. The ideas shared on this stage may not resolve the debate – but they will ensure that whatever comes next is shaped by people who have thought carefully about it. And that, in the truest TED tradition, is worth spreading.

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