AT GLOBAL IMPACT SUMMIT, RIVKIN CHAMPIONS CREATOR-CENTERED AI POLICY

AI's future depends on protecting creativity, building trust, and strengthening value for creators, MPA chairman declares

DELHI, India, Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 16, the opening day of India's AI Impact Summit, Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), joined Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Information & Broadcasting (MIB), Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), and Railways, Government of India, for a fireside conversation on the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the creative economy.

Both leaders acknowledged that AI represents a new and exciting frontier for the global creative industries – sectors with a long and proven history of embracing transformative technologies in pursuit of creative excellence.

"AI can and must be used to expand creativity in a responsible way," Rivkin said. "Our member studios are at the forefront of this transformation, recognising the immense potential of AI to enhance storytelling while keeping human creativity at the heart of filmmaking. Strong copyright frameworks are indispensable — they anchor a vibrant creative economy, drive investment in the media & entertainment sector and turn creative ingenuity and storytelling into world-class cultural exports."

"I commend the Government of India for convening this forum at such a consequential moment," he added.

Speaking about the intersection of the creative economy and AI, Minister Vaishnaw said: "We believe that human creativity is the most important thing that we have in our entire civilisation. So we must protect it. We must make sure that any system that protects human creativity and enhances it, is a better system. There shouldn't be a dilutive effect. There should be more of a complementing impact on human creativity."

The event, Rewarding Our Creative Future in the Age of AI – Strengthening India Through Innovation, Trust and Talent, was organised by the MPA in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), MIB, and Creative First, with support from a broad cross-section of film, television and streaming industry organisations.

The AI & Creative Economy track directly supports some of the key pillars underpinning the AI Impact Summit, especially around human capital, trusted AI, and AI for economic and social good. The program builds on the momentum of last year's WAVES Summit and serves as a bridge to next year's gathering, reinforcing India's leadership at the convergence of creativity, technology and culture, and recognizes MPA member studios' continued contribution to the growth of the screen industry.

The AI Impact Summit, convened at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is positioned as the first major global AI gathering in the southern hemisphere. It has drawn heads of state from 20 nations, ministerial delegations from 45 countries, and CEOs from the biggest technology companies.

Following Monday's fireside conversation, MPA convened an industry discussion during which production and VFX experts underscored how AI is an active collaborator across the content value chain. The panel session – Where Content Meets Code; Reimagining Storytelling – featured Prasoon Joshi, Poet, Screenwriter, advertising legend and Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification; Sushant Sreeram, Head of Marketing & SVOD at JioStar; Tyrone Estephan, Managing Director at Alt.VFX; Merzin Tavaria, Co-Founder and President – Global Production & Operations at DNEG; Niraj Ruparel, Creative Technology Lead at WPP and WPP Media India; and Vatsal Sheth, Co-Founder and CEO of Prismix Studios.

The MPA's program exploring the intersection of AI and the creative economy will continue throughout 2026 across key markets.

Images from the event are available here.

About The Motion Picture Association

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) serves as the leading voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members' content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world. Its member studios are: Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures, Universal Studios, The Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.

SOURCE Motion Picture Association Asia Pacific