AI, algorithms and instinct collide at TCH x VAM 2026 storytelling Debate

MUMBAI: In an entertainment landscape increasingly powered by algorithms, the biggest question facing creators today may well be this: can spreadsheets spot soul?

That debate took centre stage at The Content Hub x VFX & More Summit 2026 during a panel titled “Creative Gut vs Data Sheet: What Greenlights a Story?”, featuring Friday Filmworks CEO Devendra Deshpande, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment CEO Dipti Jindal and Ormax Media head of theatrical business Sanket Kulkarni. The session was moderated by Unstoppable Network founder Shailja Saraswati Varghese.

The conversation moved fluidly between instinct, analytics, AI and audience behaviour, with panellists broadly agreeing that while data has become impossible to ignore, it still cannot replace the emotional spark that makes stories memorable.

A recurring theme throughout the session was that audiences themselves may not have fundamentally changed, but the industry’s fear of missing audience expectations certainly has. The rise of OTT platforms, recommendation engines and performance metrics has made creators and studios far more cautious about risk-taking, often nudging storytelling towards familiar formats and safer bets.

At the same time, the panel acknowledged that theatrical storytelling still carries a unique emotional pull. Cinema-going, once a routine habit, has increasingly transformed into an “event” experience after the pandemic era, making audiences more selective about what draws them out of their homes. Theatres were described as spaces where stories become amplified through collective viewing, with emotions landing harder in a room full of strangers than on personal screens.

Yet OTT platforms were far from dismissed. The discussion highlighted how binge-worthy storytelling has created its own form of immersion, with sticky content capable of holding audiences regardless of where it is viewed. Popular long-form series and binge culture were cited as proof that compelling storytelling transcends platform boundaries.

The panel also explored how streaming has altered storytelling structures. While creators may now think more carefully about cold opens, retention curves and early hooks to prevent viewers from clicking away, the broader consensus was that authentic storytelling instincts still drive development decisions far more than dashboards do.

Much of the debate revolved around the growing role of audience research and predictive analytics in filmmaking. Testing scripts and films before release, analysing audience reactions, measuring commercial potential and identifying weak creative spots were described as increasingly valuable tools for producers and studios. Data was framed not as the enemy of creativity, but as a calibration mechanism helping filmmakers make more informed business decisions.

The panellists pointed to how audience testing can shape everything from character arcs to casting decisions, sometimes even triggering major reshoots if emotional disconnects are identified early enough. The larger takeaway was that analytics can sharpen execution, but rarely originate truly breakthrough ideas.

Another strong point of discussion was how trends often become self-replicating within the industry. Once a genre succeeds commercially, multiple projects quickly follow similar formulas until audience fatigue sets in. AI-driven pattern recognition, the panel suggested, could potentially accelerate this cycle even faster, leading to more homogenised storytelling if creators rely too heavily on predictive systems.

Still, the room remained optimistic about AI’s role in entertainment. Rather than viewing artificial intelligence as a replacement for creators, the conversation framed it as a production catalyst capable of streamlining workflows, reducing turnaround time and lowering costs across research, post-production and content operations.

The panellists repeatedly returned to the idea that the emotional core of storytelling still comes from lived experience, personal memory and human flaws, elements machines cannot genuinely replicate. AI may be able to predict viewing patterns, generate formulas and mimic emotional beats, but the nuanced human experiences that create deeply resonant cinema remain harder to automate.

The discussion also touched on how recommendation algorithms have dramatically widened audience openness towards multilingual content. With dubbing, subtitles and platform recommendations becoming more sophisticated, viewers are increasingly consuming stories across linguistic boundaries, helping regional and international content travel further than ever before.

Despite the growing sophistication of analytics and AI, the panel ultimately landed on a simple conclusion: the future of storytelling may become faster, smarter and more data-aware, but instinct still remains the industry’s ultimate greenlight.

As the session wrapped, one thing became clear. In the race for attention, numbers may open the door, but it is still emotion that keeps audiences in their seats.