MUMBAI: “AI isn’t coming for your job, it’s coming for your excuses,” quipped filmmaker and founder of Amazing Indian Stories, Vivek Anchalia, during his provocative keynote at Goa Fest 2025. Hosted at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon and moderated by Landor  president APAC Lulu Raghavan, the session titled ‘How AI is Rewriting the Language of Visual Storytelling’ pulled no punches as it spotlighted how artificial intelligence is shaking up the storyboarding, scripting, and shooting process across the advertising and film industries.

Anchalia shared that AI has slashed production prep time from six hours to mere minutes, thanks to new tools like integrated  production modules (IPM). Today, a single AI-generated slide can capture an actor’s look, lighting, costume, and setting—compressing what used to take a 100-slide deck into one.

One of the biggest breakthroughs? AI-generated spec ads that outshine traditional animatics in both narrative cohesion and visual clarity. It's not about replacing the director—it’s about amplifying their vision. “AI lets you shoot in Paris without stepping out of Mumbai,” Anchalia joked, referring to the ability to simulate exotic drone shots for a fraction of the cost. His upcoming film, Naisha, is the ultimate proof-of-concept—everything from visuals to drone footage created with AI, with only the music left to human hands.

But even Anchalia isn’t all-in. He firmly stated that AI isn’t ready to replace human storytelling or emotional scoring, citing that while tools can handle generic effects like phone rings or car screeches, they falter in crafting soul-stirring background scores. For Naisha, human composers were non-negotiable. “AI can’t replicate a filmmaker’s rhythm Tarantino and Hirani don’t come out of code,” he said.

Cost savings may be dramatic (up to 90 per cent in some cases), but not absolute. Skilled AI artists now command premium rates, even if subscriptions to Midjourney, Runway, and Eleven Labs are dirt-cheap. Still, AI is making multi-campaign content creation viable for brands once boxed in by budget.

While creatives remain wary some even hostile business leaders are racing ahead. “James Cameron is already on the board of an AI company,” Anchalia pointed out, urging the industry to “stop being ostriches” and start exploring. His advice to learners? Ditch the fancy degrees. “YouTube is the new Harvard,” he declared. His own journey went from one successful AI image in 50 attempts to a solid 1 in 4 just through grit, Google, and global communities.

AI may reduce headcount, but agencies won’t be obsolete. Anchalia insists that strategic thinking, brand DNA, and cultural insight remain human territory. What AI does offer is better client persuasion data-backed visuals, real-time mock-ups, and faster pitch approval cycles.

As Lulu Raghavan aptly closed, “AI isn’t overhyped, it’s underhyped. Those who harness it now will define the future of storytelling.”

With the appetite for content exploding and the barriers to entry crumbling, the next blockbuster might just come from a bedroom laptop instead of a Bollywood backlot. The script is changing and AI is co-writing it.