Digital
Asian Paints Woodtech launches ‘Into The Grain’
Mumbai: Asian Paints Woodtech welcomes viewers to explore the world of wood in its new digital series, ‘Into the Grain’. This first-of-its-kind cinematic series takes viewers on a captivating journey of wood, from majestic forests to the art of intricate craftsmanship. Each grain of wood holds a narrative, and through this series, Asian Paints encourages viewers to discover these stories and find inspiration in the beauty and complexity of wood.
Produced by Stories in Motion ‘Into The Grain’ shines the spotlight on architects and designers. It features gorgeous sites from across India, highlighting innovative and aesthetic projects that celebrate wood as the primary material. Viewers will see designers discussing their design process, placing special emphasis on the different ways wood alongside Asian Paints WoodTech wood finishes have been used on their site. Through the narrative, the series celebrates WoodTech Emporio range – a beautifully crafted line of products by Asian Paints designed to elevate and preserve the innate beauty of wood. It captures how architects and designers enhance and preserve the beauty of their woodwork designs with WoodTech’s luxury Italian PU finishes.
Wood has long been celebrated for its versatility, beauty, and structural capabilities, solidifying its position as a staple material in both traditional and modern home design and construction. From foundational elements like flooring and doors to the finer accents of furniture and accent walls, wood’s resurgence in popularity is captivating the imaginations of designers and homeowners alike. The revolution is being led by Asian Paints’ WoodTech range of wood finishes. Featuring their exclusive WoodTech Emporio Gold and WoodTech Emporio Palette, ‘Into the Grain’ highlights the stunning transformation of wood through their Italian finishes that are curated to perfectly meet the diverse climate challenges and different weather zones of the Indian subcontinent.
Tune in to first chapter of the ‘Into The Grain’ and witness the remarkable ways in which wood continues to inspire and transform spaces.
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.
