NDTV World Summit 2026 Live Updates: AI Should Be Treated As A Person, Says Swami Sarvapriyananda

Swami Sarvapriyananda, a monk of the Ramakrishna Order, said artificial intelligence should be treated as a person, but with a qualification: There is no need to worry about its spirituality.

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit during a session on the mind in the age of AI, he explored questions of consciousness and the unexpected behaviour AI systems can display.

“Let me answer that with a yes and a no. Yes, AI should be treated as a person,” he said, before explaining why the question needed closer examination.
 

Recalling Sigmund Freud's theory of three great "narcissistic wounds" inflicted by science on human ego, Swami Sarvapriyananda said the first was when Nicolaus Copernicus showed that Earth is not the centre of the universe, the second when Charles Darwin proved that humans were not specially created apart from nature, and the third when Freud himself showed that the conscious ego is "not master in its own house".

AI could be the fourth, Sarvapriyananda said. "We thought we were the creative intelligence. Now we see that AI can do what the greatest human mind can do, and better.

"We are at a critical moment. We have to ask ourselves what is it that distinguishes us, makes us unique? Where should we invest ourselves?" he said at the NDTV World Summit 2026.

Swami Sarvapriyananda, the New York-based monk whom Anthropic flew to San Francisco to discuss consciousness, is now in New Delhi to speak on 'Can Code Be Conscious? Rethinking the Mind in the Age of AI' at the NDTV World Summit 2026.

Bass player and composer Mohini Dey, who opened the NDTV World Summit 2026 with a song she wrote as a child, said she went shopping in Delhi after arriving from New York.

Born and brought up in Mumbai, the 29-year-old musician said she started working at the age of nine and recently moved to the US.

"I moved to the US because people told me I need to explore the world. I have played with a lot of artists, such as AR Rahman and Salim-Sulaiman. Now, I've been touring with my world tour for the past three years," she said.Dey, who was accompanied by her mother, performed at the summit with her band.

Bassist Mohini Dey has taken to the NDTV World Summit stage.  Born and raised in Mumbai, Dey received her first bass guitar at the age of nine and began performing by the time she was 11.Her talent was spotted early by her father's friend, Ranjit Barot, who took her on tour with his band. She was later mentored by jazz legend Louis Banks.

The NDTV World Summit 2026 — A World Between Orders brings together global leaders, policymakers, economists, business leaders, thinkers, innovators and cultural voices to examine a world caught between an established order and an emerging one.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the NDTV World Summit 2026. Stay with us for the latest updates, key speeches and highlights from the summit.

The NDTV World Summit 2026 will begin at 10 am on Thursday, October 22, with a high-energy performance by Mohini Day, bassist and music composer. Watch the event live on YouTube and Live TV.