Technology

India leads the charge in blending human authenticity with AI in marketing in 2025

Monday, 1 December 2025 1:57PM UTC

As AI becomes central to creative industries, India emerges as a global leader, emphasising the importance of human authenticity and hybrid creativity in the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.

If 2024 marked the year of tentative but enthusiastic engagement with artificial intelligence (AI), 2025 is shaping up to be the year society reckons with the complexities of this relationship, especially in creative industries such as marketing. Industry observers and practitioners alike suggest that the new challenge will not be about glorifying AI’s capabilities but about embracing and amplifying human authenticity alongside it.

The marketing sector has long cycled through technological infatuations, from virtual reality to the metaverse, but AI now occupies centre stage. Yet, as articulated by a leading commentator in the field, the forthcoming year is less about AI as an independent phenomenon and more about what it means "to be human in the age of AI." AI can produce perfect prose without hesitation or emotional baggage, but it lacks the lived experience, emotional depth, and the messy humanity that gives creative work its soul. This emotional resonance, rooted in human vulnerabilities like hope, heartbreak, and chaos, remains beyond AI’s grasp. Authentic creativity emerges from a combination of raw experiences and data, not data alone.

This nuanced perspective is particularly relevant to audiences who have grown adept at detecting inauthenticity. Younger consumers, especially Gen Z, possess a near-instinctive ability to spot stock images and insincerity in brand messaging. The present-day consumer demands more than polished façades; they seek genuine interactions, such as brands who respond authentically at odd hours rather than broadcasting generic ‘we care’ slogans. Authenticity is thus no longer merely a tone or marketing gimmick but a fundamental business model that prioritises consistent, sincere engagement even when no spotlight is present.

In India, the relationship with AI mirrors societal tendencies toward new technologies: initial scepticism, followed by intense application, often leading to overuse, and eventually settling into practical, nuanced integration. Brands face a similar trajectory, AI should be a mechanism for scaling operations and automating repetitive tasks but should not replace the human spark that infuses creativity with purpose and meaning. AI, in this context, is likened to a highly efficient but unfeeling intern; it can generate numerous drafts and ideas quickly but cannot understand the subtleties behind why a joke lands or why a narrative resonates.

This understanding forms the foundation for what many experts anticipate as a major trend in 2025: hybrid creativity. The most successful creatives will be those who can fluidly bridge the gap between data-driven AI tools and instinctual human insight, weaving algorithms with anecdotal, emotional content to produce work that genuinely feels alive. The goal is not to prove whether or not AI was involved, but to ensure the final product holds authentic purpose and impact.

India’s rapid embrace of AI extends beyond marketing theory into substantial strategic investments and adoption. The country has emerged as a leader in AI usage in the Asia-Pacific region, with reports showing that over half of urban Indian adults actively engage with generative AI tools as early as 2025, significantly surpassing previous years and other regional competitors. This widespread user base is bolstered by high AI literacy, with nearly two-thirds of adults reporting a strong understanding of the technology.

Such grassroots adoption is complemented by massive infrastructural and financial commitments. Google plans to invest $15 billion in its first AI hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, including gigawatt-scale data centres and advanced energy and fibre-optic networks. This move is part of a broader push that also involves India’s Adani Group committing up to $5 billion towards Google’s data centre project, while Reliance Industries, in a joint venture with Brookfield Corporation and Digital Realty, announced an $11 billion investment over five years to build a sprawling AI-native data centre campus in the same region. These projects underscore India’s growing strategic importance in the global AI landscape, not merely as an end user but as a hub for innovation, infrastructure, and talent.

Additionally, the venture capital ecosystem is responding robustly to this growth trajectory. Google and Accel have partnered to back at least ten early-stage AI startups in India, each potentially receiving up to $2 million to drive innovation across sectors like entertainment, workplace solutions, and coding. This infusion of capital and focus on innovation signals a maturing AI industry that strives to balance technical prowess with creative applications.

As the momentum builds, 2025 is poised to solidify AI’s role as a transformative, if complicated, partner to human creativity and business authenticity. While AI can turbocharge efficiency and scale, the irreplaceable human elements of intuition, emotional intelligence, and authenticity will define who truly thrives in this evolving landscape.

📌 Reference Map:

^[1] (Impact On Net) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
^[2] (Impact On Net) - Paragraphs 1, 4, 5
^[3] (Reuters) - Paragraphs 9, 10
^[4] (Reuters) - Paragraph 11
^[5] (Reuters) - Paragraph 10
^[6] (Economic Times) - Paragraph 9
^[7] (AP News) - Paragraph 9

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.impactonnet.com/impact-stories/the-year-of-ai-authenticity-12676.html - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.impactonnet.com/impact-stories/the-year-of-ai-authenticity-12676.html - In this article, the author discusses the evolving relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) in the marketing industry. They argue that 2025 should be viewed as the year of embracing human authenticity in the age of AI, highlighting the importance of human emotions and experiences in creative processes. The piece also explores the varying approaches to AI adoption in India, noting a trend of initial suspicion followed by overuse, and emphasises the need for brands to balance AI scalability with human authenticity. The author concludes by advocating for hybrid creativity, where human intuition and AI capabilities work together to produce genuine and impactful marketing content.
https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/indias-adani-seeks-up-5-billion-investment-google-data-center-join-ai-boom-2025-11-28/ - India's Adani Group plans to invest up to $5 billion in Google's AI data center project in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This investment aims to meet the growing demand for data capacity in India, with the data center supporting massive computing needs for AI infrastructure. The initiative aligns with global tech firms' efforts to expand AI infrastructure, with Google investing $85 billion in 2025 to build data centers worldwide. The partnership underscores India's strategic importance in the global AI landscape.
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/google-accel-partner-back-indian-ai-startups-2025-11-25/ - Google and venture capital firm Accel have partnered to invest in at least 10 early-stage AI startups in India. Each selected startup could receive up to $2 million in funding, focusing on sectors such as entertainment, creativity, workplace solutions, and coding. This collaboration reflects the growing interest from tech giants in India's rapidly expanding digital ecosystem and aims to foster innovation and economic growth in the country's AI sector.
https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-reliance-industries-jv-invest-11-billion-data-centre-2025-11-26/ - Reliance Industries, in a joint venture with Brookfield Corporation and Digital Realty, announced an $11 billion investment over five years to develop 1 gigawatt of AI data capacity in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The planned AI-native data centre campus will span 400 acres and is part of a growing trend as global demand for AI infrastructure surges. This move underscores India's strategic positioning and increasing importance in global AI and data infrastructure development.
https://bfsi.economictimes.indiatimes.com/articles/india-leads-asia-pacific-in-generative-ai-adoption-with-56-of-adults-on-board/123918297 - India has emerged as the leader in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across the Asia Pacific region, with more than half of urban adults actively using generative AI in 2025. The report highlights that 56% of Indians living in cities are using generative AI tools, up from 44% in 2024, making India the frontrunner in the region. Indian consumers also have the highest levels of AI knowledge globally, with 63% of adults reporting a strong understanding of AI.
https://apnews.com/article/ba8fd50e11e41bbdb72097dd10262283 - Google has announced a $15 billion investment to establish its first artificial intelligence hub in Visakhapatnam, India. The project includes gigawatt-scale data center operations, enhanced energy infrastructure, and an extensive fiber-optic network. This initiative signals Google's strategic focus on India as a technological and talent hub in the global competition for AI leadership and is expected to significantly contribute to India's digital transformation by fostering innovation, infrastructure, and economic growth.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative presents a timely perspective on AI's role in marketing for 2025, with no evidence of prior publication. The inclusion of recent data and events, such as Google's $15 billion AI hub investment in India ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/india/google-invest-10-billion-data-centre-south-india-2025-10-14/?utm_source=openai)), supports its freshness. However, the article's focus on AI's impact on marketing and authenticity aligns with ongoing industry discussions, suggesting some thematic overlap. No significant discrepancies or recycled content were identified.

Quotes check

Score: 9

Notes: The article includes direct quotes that appear to be original, with no matches found in earlier material. This suggests the content is potentially exclusive. However, without access to the original sources of these quotes, it's challenging to fully verify their authenticity.

Source reliability

Score: 7

Notes: The narrative originates from Impact On Net, a publication focusing on marketing and advertising. While it provides valuable insights, the publication's reputation and editorial standards are not widely recognized, which may affect the perceived reliability. The author, Soumabha Nandi, is identified as EVP, Creative & Strategy at Social Panga, lending some credibility to the perspective presented.

Plausability check

Score: 8

Notes: The claims regarding AI's impact on marketing and the emphasis on human authenticity are plausible and align with current industry trends. The article references recent developments, such as Google's AI hub investment in India ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/india/google-invest-10-billion-data-centre-south-india-2025-10-14/?utm_source=openai)), adding credibility. However, the narrative's tone and language are consistent with marketing discourse, which may influence objectivity.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: The narrative offers a timely and original perspective on AI's role in marketing for 2025, with references to recent developments enhancing its credibility. However, the source's limited recognition and the author's affiliation with a marketing firm may influence objectivity. The plausibility of the claims is supported by current industry trends, but the overall assessment remains open due to these factors.

AI
Marketing
India