Google‘s Sanjay Gupta made a compelling case for Asia-Pacific’s dominance in the future of global storytelling, positioning artificial intelligence as the “magic wand” that will transform the region’s already-thriving media landscape.
Speaking at the APOS conference in Indonesia, the president of Google APAC opened his keynote with a striking example of AI‘s creative potential: the collaboration between Google, Warner Bros. Discovery and other partners to bring “The Wizard of Oz” to the Sphere in Las Vegas. The 1939 Technicolor classic, originally shot in 4:3 aspect ratio with 35mm cameras, required “incredible collaboration, underpinned by technology” involving “thousands of researchers, producers, programmers from the film and technology world” to upscale the video for the venue’s giant 16K screen.
“To me, the real magic was the ability to create digital imagery, to expand shots beyond what was originally in frame,” Gupta said. “What was unthinkable just a few years ago is now a stunning reality.”
Gupta painted a picture of unprecedented opportunity for Asian storytellers, citing dramatic shifts in content consumption and creation. While “The Wizard of Oz” took 17 years to go from theaters to television and another 24 years to reach homes on VHS, today’s digital tools have created “instantaneous” global connections.
The numbers are staggering: Over 20 million videos are uploaded daily to YouTube globally, with creators like Indonesia’s Justin Tobias amassing more than 15 million subscribers and 6.7 billion views — “a scale that was unthinkable in this region probably a decade back,” according to Gupta.
Asia’s consumption patterns have evolved equally dramatically. The average person in Asia now watches over seven hours of stories daily across 5 billion screens — up from 2 billion screens just a decade ago. “We are seeking stories designed for on the go consumption,” Gupta noted, highlighting everything from drama shorts to games.
The Google executive emphasized AI’s role as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement for human creativity. He showcased director Darren Aronofsky’s use of AI tools to capture challenging shots like “a day old baby’s hand, holding a mother’s finger, or showing inside the human body and filming the formation of cells.”
Another example featured Toonsutra using AI to reach new audiences by enabling real-time translation of films into “1000 different languages with the right lip sync for every character,” effectively removing traditional barriers to consumption.
“This room, the room of storytellers, I believe, are the wizards, if you will, and AI is a magic wand,” Gupta said.
Gupta identified two key factors positioning Asia at the forefront of global storytelling’s future. First, the region’s demographics: “50% of world’s population, 60% of global youth” who are “young and open to experimentation” with emerging technologies.
More importantly, he highlighted Asia’s “deep culture of storytelling” spanning from Indonesia’s traditional forms to Japan’s Kabuki, from the Ramayana to modern anime, K-dramas and web series. “Creativity from this region is grabbing attention across the world today,” he said, noting that more people watch K-dramas outside Korea than within the country, while India produces content consumed globally for over 45 billion hours on YouTube.
Despite the creative momentum, Gupta sees massive untapped potential. Asia currently contributes only 15% to global media revenues, suggesting “huge headroom for us to grow and capture.” The regional media and entertainment business, while valued at $60 billion and growing, could expand significantly with AI integration.
“This is a movement for Asia’s media industry,” Gupta declared. “AI, combined with the ingenuity, dynamism and rich storytelling of this region and the large population will turbocharge creativity.”
During a subsequent fireside chat with moderator Vivek Couto, executive director and co-founder, Media Partners Asia, which organizes APOS, Gupta acknowledged two primary industry concerns about AI adoption: talent management and protecting creativity.
“I think we need to think about AI as a great tool, which is augmenting our business. It’s an add-on, it’s a plus,” he explained. Drawing parallels to past technological disruptions, he referenced how the music industry initially feared digital transformation but ultimately thrived. “The power of how we can work together across stakeholders, to ensure that we are able to protect that creativity and help actually make it flourish is the opportunity,” he said.
Gupta concluded his remarks with a challenge to the assembled media professionals: “If anything is possible, what would you create, and how would you transform your business with the magic wand of AI?”
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