Few Bollywood stars would tell a room full of security and technology leaders that they don't use artificial intelligence. Kajol did. As a special guest at the ETCISO Annual Conclave in Goa, at a session titled "The Woman Behind the Star," she said she does not use AI and steers her children away from it as well. Her message was simple: "I think authenticity sells better than any AI version of yourself that you can put up there."
The comments, reported by ETCIO on October 10, 2026, come as Indian actors are pushing harder to protect their faces, voices and likeness from generative tools. Kajol made her debut in 1992, 34 years ago, and as ETCIO noted, she is speaking from the other side of the algorithm. Her work is exactly what these systems can imitate.
'Humanity cannot be replicated'
Asked whether AI could ever write scripts or lyrics to match the Hindi film classics, Kajol took a moment before answering. According to ETCIO, she said AI has a vast library to draw on and would probably do a "very well" job if asked for a poem. In her view, though, that would not be brilliant work. "Humanity cannot be replicated," she said.
She was neither alarmist nor dismissive. ETCIO wrote that her view was that the technology is moving too fast for anyone to predict, but that something in human work cannot be copied. She also said she trusts her own mind more than a machine's suggestions, and does not want a chatbot telling her how she should think.
A parent's line in the sand
The most quotable part for many parents was about her children. Kajol, who has two children with actor Ajay Devgn, said she actively pushes them away from AI tools. In a country where students are quickly adopting chatbots for homework, a famous parent saying no is likely to get attention far beyond the conference hall.
She did not frame it as a ban on technology. She framed it as protecting the habit of thinking for yourself, which fits the authenticity theme she kept coming back to.
Five words for founders
Asked for one piece of advice for young entrepreneurs entering tech and AI, she answered in five words, ETCIO reported: "Don't accept it. You don't fail till you give up, till you stop trying." On her own career, she said hits and flops have never changed who she is. What matters to her is whether she gave the work her "300%."
That attitude matches how audiences have long seen her. From Baazigar and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and her later OTT work, her screen persona has been built on spontaneity, the very quality she argues machines cannot fake.
Why Bollywood is talking about likeness
Kajol's comments add to a wider industry trend. Several Indian stars have gone to court to protect their personality rights against AI-generated clones and unauthorised use of their images. Our earlier report, "Salman Khan Takes Kala Hiran to Delhi High Court — Personality Rights, Blackbuck Case, and the Film He Wants Stopped," covered one of those battles. ETCIO noted that the session also touched on how actors are now guarding their likeness.
Kajol's own festive season has been busy too. The Mukerji family's North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja, where she appears every year with cousin Rani Mukerji, is about to begin again. This week, Tanishaa Mukerji asked photographers not to trouble Jaya Bachchan at the pandal, IANS reported.
What Kajol's stance means for Bollywood's AI debate
Kajol's view stands out because the industry is not united. Some producers are trying AI for dubbing, de-ageing and promotional material, while many actors worry about losing control of their own faces and voices. A star with more than three decades of hits saying she simply does not use the tools gives the authenticity side a well-known face.
Her argument was also practical rather than moral. She did not say AI is evil. She said it cannot replace the instinct and effort that make a performance memorable. For audiences who grew up on her films, that is a familiar message from someone whose biggest scenes are remembered for how natural they felt.
FAQ
What did Kajol say about AI?
At the ETCISO Annual Conclave in Goa, Kajol said she does not use AI, that "humanity cannot be replicated," and that "authenticity sells better than any AI version of yourself."
Does Kajol let her children use AI?
She said she pushes her children away from AI tools, according to ETCIO.
What advice did Kajol give entrepreneurs?
"Don't accept it. You don't fail till you give up, till you stop trying."
When did Kajol make her film debut?
Kajol debuted in 1992 with Bekhudi.
Cover photo: Bollywood Hungama / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0