Digital
Affle gets regulatory clearance for rebranding to Affle 3i
MUMBAI: Adtech and martech firm Affle has marked its third decade with a rechristening and a bold leap into AI-driven advertising. The rebranding to Affle 3i officially went into effect today with approval from the registrar of companies, ministry of corporate affairs. Earlier in April, an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders had given the management the go-ahead to rename the firm. Affle 3i informed the Bombay stock exchange (BSE) about the official name change today.
Earlier this week the company held a glitzy summit at the BSE where it showcased its “Power of 3i” vision to investors and clients. The “3i” pillars—innovation, impact, and intelligence—were the stars of the show. Affle 3i demonstrated OpticksAI, a system capable of delivering hyper-personalised, real-time consumer experiences, powered by advanced AI. It s also highlighted its AI integration across connected TV (CTV) advertising, aiming to democratise the platform and boost ROI.
But the real showstopper was Affle’s live demonstration of 100 AI agents, showcasing what the company calls “active and authentic intelligence.” This, it claims, builds on the company’s formidable intellectual property, including 15 Indian patents and two US patents related to AI-driven experiences, filed well before the generative AI craze.
Affle 3i chairperson, managing director, & chief executive officer Anuj Khanna Sohum said the company’s vision is to “invoke the power of 3i” for intelligence that goes beyond efficiency. The aim is to scale from targeted creatives to millions of dynamic, personalised experiences, driven by “authentic, actionable, and augmented intelligence.”
Chief architect & technology officer Charles Yong added that digital advertising is ripe for generative AI adoption. Affle 3i’s AI agents, he claimed, will streamline workflows and meet the demand for real-time, personalised content.
In a flourish, Affle 3i also snagged records from the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records for the first-ever “Live Intelligence in Action” presentation at the BSE, proving the ad tech firm is not just talking the talk, it is walking the AI-powered walk. This rebranding and AI push signals Affle 3i’s intent to dominate the future of digital advertising, and it is not pulling any punches.
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.
