MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Terming WAVES 2025 as a microcosm of the global community, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar S Jaishankar on Friday said the world order, which has a strong cultural dimension, is under transformation. He said technology and tradition must go hand in hand, as “technology can strengthen awareness of our vast heritage and deepen consciousness about it, especially for the younger generations.”
Addressing the Global Media Dialogue along with Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, Jaishankar also made a strong pitch for smoother mobility for talent to contribute to stronger creativity.
He highlighted the enormous possibilities that the era of AI holds and asserted that technology and tradition must go hand in hand. “In the emerging era of AI, the possibilities are beyond imagination, yet there is a need for a responsible use of emerging technologies, while reducing bias, democratising content and prioritising its ethics,” he said.
“The Wave Summit has brought together content creators, policy makers, actors, writers, producers and visual artists on a common platform for discussing a future roadmap for the Media and Entertainment sector,” Jaishankar said, adding that it is crucial that young talent is made ready for an age of creative collaborations through relevant skill development.
Welcoming the delegates of 77 countries in Mumbai, I&B minister Vaishnaw said the culture inspires creativity which connects people across borders. “Content creation and consumption is changing fast as technology is reshaping the way we tell our stories. We are at an inflection point where we need to incentivize local content creation,” he said.
“We need to focus on co-production treaties, joint funds and a declaration which helps us bridge the digital divide, foster global peace and harmony. We need to thus widen the global bridge of creativity to an expressway of ideas,” Vaishnaw said.
Meanwhile, the member nations adopted the WAVES Declaration and agreed to collaborate on giving voice to traditions and heritage, while promoting creativity in the era of AI. The 13-point WAVES Declaration stated that the participants aim to prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation, promote media integrity, fact-based journalism and responsible advertising towards enlightened public discourse.