Actor-theatre artist Prakash Belawadi began his session at TechSparks 2026 with a simple question: “Any artists out there?”

He went on to answer his own question with a profound reflection: “This is a trick question. You are all born artists. But the formal education system and corporate life crushed the artist in you. Reconnect with the artist in you; it will help you survive in this AI age,” he said.

Belawadi spoke on “The last human advantage: What AI cannot replace”, discussing how technology is changing creativity, work, culture, and public life.

Responding to a question about whether AI challenges artists and whether they need to upskill to remain relevant, Belawadi distinguished between art created for personal fulfilment and art produced for commercial or practical purposes.

To illustrate his point, Belawadi asked how many people in the room had tried writing poetry. While few had identified themselves as artists, several hands went up in response to the question about poetry.

“Why would you want to write poetry? You don’t think you’re going to make money out of it. You don’t think it’s going to be a career. Why did you try to write?” he asked.

For Belawadi, the answer lies in the impulse to create something for oneself, without necessarily seeking commercial value or external validation. In such cases, he argued, AI isn't a challenge because the act of creation is the point.

“You write it because you felt like it. You don’t take AI’s help to write poetry,” he added.

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