Anand Mahindra says AI is putting this priceless human skill at risk

Photography has always been about capturing the magic of a fleeting moment — a smile, a glance, a sunset that lasts just seconds. But in an era where AI can create stunning, lifelike images in seconds, the line between reality and fabrication is blurring. While AI art dazzles, it also raises a quiet but powerful question: will we start valuing manufactured perfection over real memories? Business tycoon Anand Mahindra has just weighed in on this dilemma, and his words hit home.

Mahindra revealed that he has never feared new technology, nor does he view it as a threat. So, when someone sent him an image accompanied by what seemed like yet another nostalgic rant, his first instinct was to dismiss it. But his background in photography made him pause.

Reflecting on the ease with which AI can conjure up flawless visuals, Mahindra warned that there’s a hidden danger — forgetting the importance of freezing genuine, unrepeatable moments. “It is just as important to capture moments as it is to create them,” he wrote, urging people not to lose touch with the art of recording reality. In his words, the choice is clear: capture moments, not just manufacture them.

I’ve never been one to resist new technology or see it as a threat.

And so when someone sent me this image I was about to discard it as yet another nostalgic rant.

But I studied photography in college, and that made me pause.

Because it struck me that AI makes it so easy to… pic.twitter.com/vMNwLsnwKw

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) August 14, 2025

Netizens react
Many agreed with Mahindra’s sentiment, saying we must remember the importance of experiencing and capturing what nature has given us — whether it’s a sunset, a child’s first steps, a waterfall, or a rare sight like multiple rainbows. Others reflected on how photography touches the soul, offering something irreplaceable in freezing life’s raw moments. Some expressed concern over the staggering number of artificial images and videos being produced daily, fearing a future where real memories are outnumbered by fabricated ones, and noting that no AI creation can replace a moment truly lived.