Goafest 2025: Staying relevant in the age of AI & human ingenuity
Goafest 2025 kicked off with an engaging discussion on the evolving intersection of AI, marketing, and leadership. The thought-provoking fireside session titled Staying Relevant in an Age of Machines was hosted by Publicis Groupe South Asia CEO Anupriya Acharya and featured Rishad Tobaccowala, renowned futurist, author, and advisor, as he unpacked how the industry must adapt to an AI-led future.
The opening keynote: AI is just getting started
Kicking off the session, Tobaccowala emphasised that AI is still underhyped, not overhyped. "Its true impact is yet to be fully realised," he noted, pointing out how AI is reducing the cost of computation, distribution, and now, knowledge, to near zero.
But while AI is set to become as fundamental as electricity, it won’t be a differentiator. “The real edge,” he said, “will come from HI, Human Ingenuity, Intuition, Interaction, Inspiration, Inventiveness.”
Tobaccowala urged leaders to "ignite their minds", let go of legacy thinking, and embrace a mindset of reinvention. He challenged the idea that scale is always an advantage. “In the AI age, scale can become a liability,” he warned.
He offered a compelling metaphor: to thrive, leaders must think like immigrants, curious, adaptable, and open to transformation. He also critiqued the industry’s habit of benchmarking internally: “Disruption rarely comes from within your category. Look outside.”
The advice was practical, too: update your mental operating system as often as your smartphone. Creativity, curiosity, collaboration, communication, and the ability to convince- these are the skills machines can’t replicate. Marketing, he argued, is "AI-proof" because it thrives on both data and storytelling.
“Don’t chase coding or Mandarin,” he quipped. “Chase what makes you human.”
Tobaccowala also reframed the future of work, not as a decline in jobs, but as a rise in meaningful work. “The future doesn’t fit in the containers of the past,” he declared, urging businesses to be rebuilt for today’s realities, not yesterday’s frameworks.
Fireside Reflections: Reinventing from Within
In the fireside chat that followed, Anupriya Acharya probed deeper. When asked about advice for agencies and marketers, Tobaccowala was clear: Agencies must embrace AI to rethink both storytelling and business models. Marketers, meanwhile, must go beyond efficiency and reimagine their entire business from the ground up.
On navigating change and avoiding burnout, he emphasised empathy. Change, he said, is hard and often painful. Success lies in aligning incentives, offering training, and communicating not just corporate benefits, but personal gains.
He urged leaders to stop acting like bosses and start inspiring and mentoring. For the younger generation, he had long-term advice: “It’s a 50-year career. Don’t chase quick wins, choose the right boss and grow.”
The Future of Work and India’s Moment
The session concluded with a poignant thought: AI will not just change how we work, but why we work. “Work provides identity, community, and growth,” Tobaccowala said. “AI can amplify that, not replace it.”
Asked what the world is underestimating, he didn’t hesitate, India. He highlighted India’s rising influence in talent, technology, and media, calling it “central to the future.”
As Goafest 2025 kicked off, this opening session set the tone: The future is not just automated, it’s deeply human. And staying relevant means embracing change, not with fear, but with creativity, courage, and curiosity.
News