The second day of Goafest 2026 opened with a series of discussions around artificial intelligence, data ownership, consumer behaviour and the future of advertising, bringing together leaders from media, technology, marketing and digital businesses.

According to a Goafest press release, the second day began with a panel titled ‘AI Washing: The Truth About AI’, presented by Mediakart in association with The Times of India and Vijas Digital. The discussion explored whether companies are genuinely becoming AI-first organisations or merely adopting AI tools without meaningful transformation.

The session featured Gulrez Alam of Affle, Niraj Ruparel of WPP & WPP Media, and Smriti Mehra of Network18, with Shubhranshu Singh moderating the discussion. Speakers highlighted how AI adoption is increasingly being judged by business outcomes, automation efficiency and the ability to create more personalised consumer experiences.

Alam said AI would become meaningful only when it delivers measurable results for businesses and advertisers. He also pointed out that advertisers would soon face the challenge of distinguishing real human audiences from AI-driven bots operating online. Ruparel emphasised that while AI is accelerating innovation and democratising creativity, human thinking and originality would continue to remain critical for meaningful storytelling and cultural understanding.

Mehra said AI is expected to transform news and media from simple information dissemination to intelligence-led storytelling, while human editorial judgment would remain essential. She added that most companies are still in the early or experimental stages of AI deployment despite growing investments in automation and AI-led operations.

Google also hosted a keynote session titled ‘There’s an Agent for That – Excelling in the AI Era’, where Satya Raghavan, Director, Marketing Partners at Google India, discussed the rise of agent-led AI ecosystems. He said AI-powered agents are increasingly being used to automate repetitive marketing and advertising tasks, allowing human teams to focus on higher-value creative work and strategic thinking.

Another major session of the day, presented by NDTV, focused on storytelling, culture and audience engagement in the digital era. Industry leaders including NDTV’s Rahul Kanwal, Rana Barua, Rohit Kapoor, Darshana Shah and Sam Balsara discussed how brands are adapting to shrinking attention spans, viral internet culture and real-time content consumption.

Kanwal said the advertising industry is rapidly shifting from campaign-led storytelling to culture-led storytelling, where brands must quickly recognise and respond to viral moments online. Kapoor of Swiggy added that while trends move rapidly, long-term brand building still requires consistency and a strong understanding of human behaviour.

The discussions also examined the growing importance of data ownership and privacy. A session titled ‘The War on Data – Who Owns The Signal?’ featured executives from Parle Products, Mondelez, Coca-Cola and Indian Express Online discussing first-party data strategies, consumer consent and the impact of India’s DPDP regulations on marketing and digital ecosystems.

Throughout the day, Goafest also hosted several masterclasses on storytelling, creator-led marketing, rich media advertising and content creation in an attention-deficit economy. The sessions were led by experts from LinkedIn, MICA, MediaKart and international industry leaders, reflecting the festival’s growing focus on AI, digital creativity and evolving consumer engagement models.

Goafest 2026 is jointly organised by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club, bringing together professionals from advertising, media, marketing and entertainment industries.