MAM
Disney Channel & Microsoft unite for “Start your story” contest
MUMBAI: Disney Channel and Microsoft have come together to offer Indian kids a unique opportunity to unleash their creativity with “Start your story” contest.
Kids across India are invited to script their original creations in less than 1000 words using Microsoft Windows XP.They could even add some colour using illustrations and pictures to create prize-winning stories. The contest begins today and entries will be accepted till 20 December, 2005.
Walt Disney Television International (India) director – marketing and communications Tushar Shah said, “Storytelling is Disney’s foundation. We continuously stretch the boundaries of our imagination to tell compelling stories with unique appeal. Disney Channel inspires young viewers to fire up their creativity and write their own stories. I would imagine that using Windows XP to pen their plot makes it a perfect proposition for our young writers.”
Microsoft India director Windows client business group Rishi Srivastava said, “We are excited about this initiative with Disney Channel. It truly brings out the spirit of our ‘Start Something Global Marketing’ campaign, which showcases how people can explore, enhance and pursue their personal interests using Windows XP. As we enter the third decade of Windows, this program is designed to inspire kids and their parents to start something new with Windows and use it to open up a new world of creativity and convert their imagination into a reality.”
The best story will fly the lucky winner of the Grand Prize to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, USA.The first 100 prizes will have the winners names featured on Disney Channel and will receive a Microsoft Encarta CD. The top 10 story-writers stand to win Media Center PCs and their stories will be featured for a week on the channel’s website to be reviewed and voted by users.
Five reviewers whose choice matches that of the jury also stand to win Media Center PCs. The top 10 winners will additionally be flown into Disney Channel Studio in Mumbai to be featured on the channel. The Grand prize winner’s story will be featured on Disney Channel and besides the Grand Prize, there will also be a Viewer’s Choice Award.
To enter the contest kids have to post a hard copy of the story to: ‘Start Your Story’ Contest, Disney Channel, PO Box No.16304, Delisle Road Post Office, Mumbai – 400013 or drop it into a Disney box at their schools.
Along with their creation, kids need to send in their complete details including name, age, school and residence address. Kids can email their stories to mail@disneychannelindia.com and the subject of the email should read “Start your story contest.”
Digital
Ethical AI must benefit society, not dominate it, says WFEB chief Sanjay Pradhan at IAA event
At Mumbai event, ethics expert urges businesses and governments to shape AI responsibly
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence may be racing ahead at lightning speed, but its direction must still be guided by human conscience. That was the central message delivered by Sanjay Pradhan, president of the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB), during the latest edition of IAA Conversations held in Mumbai.
The session was organised by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and the Artificial Intelligence Association of India (AIAI) in association with The Free Press Journal at the Free Press House on 7 March. Addressing a packed audience, Pradhan called for stronger ethical leadership to ensure AI remains a tool that benefits humanity rather than one that governs it.
“Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most powerful technologies humanity has created,” Pradhan said. “It is unlocking breakthroughs in medicine, science and creativity at a pace unimaginable just a few years ago.”
But he warned that the same technology carries serious risks. AI, he noted, can amplify disinformation faster than facts can travel, compromise privacy, deepen discrimination and disrupt millions of livelihoods. Referencing concerns raised by AI pioneers such as Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of AI, Pradhan stressed that the real challenge is not whether AI will shape the world, but whether humans will shape it with ethics and wisdom.
Structuring his talk around four guiding questions, why, what, how and who, Pradhan introduced the audience to WFEB’s emerging AI Ethics Partnership, a global platform aimed at advancing responsible artificial intelligence. He outlined four priority concerns that demand urgent attention: disinformation, bias and discrimination, data privacy and job security.
To make the idea of ethical AI easier to grasp, Pradhan offered a simple metaphor. Ethical AI, he said, is like a three layered cake. The outer layer represents the visible value ethical AI creates for businesses and society. The middle layer is organisational culture that moves ethics from written codes to everyday practice. The innermost layer, however, is the most crucial, the conscience of individual leaders.
Drawing from Indian philosophical thought through WFEB co-founder Ravi Shankar, Pradhan noted that while artificial intelligence can reproduce stored knowledge, true intelligence is boundless and rooted in conscience, creativity and compassion. Practices such as breathwork and meditation, he suggested, can help leaders develop the calm clarity needed for ethical decision making.
The event also featured a discussion with Maninder Adityaraj Singh, chief of staff and head of innovation at Rediffusion Brand Solutions Pvt Ltd, and Yash Johri, lawyer, Supreme Court of India.
Opening the session, IAA India chapter president Abhishek Karnani, highlighted the need for industries to understand and engage with AI responsibly.
“AI has to be befriended and understood,” added Rediffusion managing director and AIAI national convenor Sandeep Goyal. “Its ethical use will determine whether it becomes a friend or a foe.”
As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, Pradhan ended with a simple but powerful call to action. Businesses, governments and individuals must work together to ensure that the algorithms shaping the future reflect human values rather than just cold logic.
