EAM Jaishankar calls for cultural rebalance, ethical AI at WAVES 2025 Global Media Dialogue

Mumbai: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called on global policymakers and media leaders to recognise the deep cultural undercurrents shaping the world order and ensure that emerging technologies like AI are deployed responsibly. 

Delivering the keynote at the Global Media Dialogue, a marquee policy forum under the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, Jaishankar’s address touched on the intersections of tradition, technology, creative economy, and global equity in media narratives.

“We all speak of a world under transformation. It is vital to recognise that the process of change actually has a strong cultural dimension,” Jaishankar said, setting the tone for a dialogue attended by ministers, policymakers, and media heads from across 90 countries.

Calling WAVES a “micro pulse of the global community,” he lauded the convergence of “content creators, policymakers, actors, writers, producers, visual artists and others” on one platform. 

However, he reserved his sharpest focus for five key ideas, which he described as critical to shaping the emerging global media environment.

Cultural voice as a pillar of global transformation

In his first point, Jaishankar emphasised the need for cultural democratisation. As political and economic independence gain global traction, he warned against ignoring the suppressed cultural voices of the post-colonial and non-Western world.

“Liberalism has been suppressed in the past by both colonialism and major power dominance. It is not enough to assert sovereignty—nations must now also reclaim their heritage, creativity, and traditions,” he said.

Tradition and technology must coexist

Jaishankar’s second pillar focused on reimagining technology not as a rejection of the past but a celebration of it. “Technology and tradition must go hand in hand,” he noted, asserting that digital platforms can deepen historical awareness, especially among younger generations.

He underscored that “modernity is not a rejection of the past but the constant quest built on human achievements,” framing innovation as a means to leapfrog toward development, particularly for the Global South.

Global workforce, global storytelling

Reflecting on the current era of interconnectedness, Jaishankar said a global workforce and global storytelling ecosystem are increasingly viable. However, he urged a shift in policies, mindsets, and logistical frameworks to enable creative talent to move and collaborate freely across borders.

“Neither talent nor tasking will be stationary. Smoother mobility can certainly contribute to stronger creativity,” he said, calling for enabling ecosystems that foster new-age storytelling.

Preparing the youth for the era of attention

Jaishankar also addressed the evolution of storytelling—from oral to written, and now from visual to digital. With an “overload of information,” he said the challenge now is not access, but attention.

“This challenge is what will make ours an age of creative forms, creative sports, and creative collaboration,” he said, urging policymakers to equip youth with the skills necessary for emerging content formats.

AI: Opportunities and ethical imperatives

In his final point, Jaishankar turned to artificial intelligence, describing it as a transformative force that could redefine not just media but humanity’s very sense of the past and present.

Calling for ethical and responsible AI, he warned that innovation must be accompanied by frameworks that reduce bias, protect authenticity, and safeguard intellectual property.

“AI will come with its own issues. Businesses will have to deal with new intellectual property challenges as they promote innovation and creativity. Responsible use of emerging technologies will be an increasing preoccupation,” he said.

‘WAVES is the platform to deliberate’

Jaishankar closed by expressing confidence in the WAVES platform as a springboard for global policy discourse, particularly on media ethics, cultural equity, and technological governance.

“WAVES will serve to deliberate on the key issues before the global media, entertainment, and creative worlds,” he said.