Members of Writers Collective seen with High Commissioner of the Republic of Malta to India, Reuben Gauci & his delegation, Merenla Imsong, Actor, writer & content creator, and participants in the inaugural programme of the two-day Nagaland Literature Festival 2025 at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Kohima on December 12. (Photo by Jabu Krocha)
‘AI & Chat Gpt are not modern day blessings’
Morung Express News
Kohima | December 12
“How would AI know all the nuances of our cultural landscape to be able to write our stories?” This is a question that noted poet, novelist and short story writer posed in the context of “Art & Artifice: Storytelling in the Age of AI”, the theme for the 5th Edition of the two-day Nagaland Literature Festival 2025 that got underway today at the Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Auditorium, Kohima.
“I think that is a non-question”, she stated in her keynote address that was read out by Dr. Adenuo Shirat Luikham. Terming herself as a secret anti AI activist, she underscored that, “Artificial Intelligence and Chat Gpt are not modern day blessings. They are a very fancy way for you to announce, Hi I am using AI because my brain is dead.”
In this regard, she emphasised that the human brain is beautifully, fearfully and wonderfully made, that enabled the development of several amazing inventions. If you stop using your brain, she underscored that, “your amazing technicolor touch the moon brain, you are going to regress and slowly lose the ability to think, to invent, to create and so on.”
In this context, Kire urged the gathering to think of their “brain as a big special muscle” and to use their brain muscles for them to get better and brighter. “You won’t regret it”, she added.
While AI is a good tool, she however asserted that in the end, it is a tool and “we would be stupid to think we can use it to write assignments and books, and tell our stories.”
“Creativity is personal, Art is so personal”
Observing that when artists create, their art is supposed to evoke an emotional response from the viewer, Actor, writer & content creator, Merenla Imsong emphasized that, “you can only achieve that when you pour your soul into your work.”
Merenla Imsong, who gave a special appearance at the inaugural of the Nagaland Literature Festival asserted that creativity and art are personal while highlighting “that is why we take parts of our childhood, parts of what we see in our day-to-day lives, parts of our interactions with people, the little, little things, and then we pour it into our work.” This, she said forms the language of our work and identity.”
She also spoke about her life as an actor, writer and content creator while citing instances in this regard. Further referring to social media contents that are created in this age with the hope to get validation, she said, “then you are not a creator anymore but a Xerox machine.”
In a world that is increasingly becoming soulless, she said, “it is really difficult to keep your soul intact.” But that is where art comes in to save us, she underlined while articulating that, “we make art to feed our soul, and yet true art can only come from a place, from a source that has a soul.”
And AI, she added, “can come and go, but we will all continue making art, because as long as humans are alive, we will make art.”
In her opening remarks, Vishü Rita Krocha, President of Writers Collective Kohima recalled growing up, surrounded by intriguing stories of the lived experiences of her grandparents in an era filled with endless tradition and rural adventures. She shared that these stories carry the lives of a time that she did not live in but in a strange way, she said that, “I recognize the smell, the sound, the taste, the air, and the very soil that our ancestors and people toiled in.”
Against the backdrop of her journey in writing, she affirmed that it was this common love and passion for promoting the richness of Naga Literature that resulted in the formation of Writers Collective in 2019 under the guidance and vision of the Advisor to Chief Minister of Nagaland, Abu Metha.
Despite the many challenges of mobilising resources for the Nagaland Literature Festival especially after organising it independently from last year, she said it was however made possible because of the generosity of people who love literature and have supported in different ways.
Even as Writers Collective began with the endeavour to promote literature from the state, she underscored that, “our primary focus has always been that of making and keeping our local stories relevant because we truly believe that our indigenous voices matter in our search for self-discovery.”
In today’s world of digitalisation and explosion of social media, she stated belief that “books are still the most powerful medium in connecting people and in revealing glimpses of ourselves in each other, to reveal our commonality and our humanity.”
She also acknowledged all the bookworms, the authors, poets, illustrators, and storytellers present for giving them the reason to celebrate. “Without you, we wouldn’t have tales of mystery, history, culture, resilience, heroism, characters to intrigue us, poetry that inspire, and good books to devour”, she added.
Highlights of the inaugural programme included special Remarks & reading by Norbert Bugeja, Author & Professor, Faculty of Arts, Mediterranean Institute, University of Malta.
The High Commissioner of the Republic of Malta to India, Reuben Gauci, in his brief address said that writers and authors should be considered ‘national treasures’ whole describing the professor as their national treasure.
The delegation from the Republic of Malta included his wife, Dr. Olga V. Gauci, Desiree Cassar and Sahil Tandon. Earlier, Fr. Tious Varghese SDB, Principal of Don Bosco College said the prayer while 5-year-old Neno Shupao presented a song titled, “When you open a book” and poetry reading by Mharoni Yanthan, class-7 student of Stella Higher Secondary School Kohima. Keren Rose, Assistant Manager, Media & PRO, Nagaland Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) spoke on ‘Building Resilient Communities’.
Mention may be made here that the Nagaland Literature Festival 2025 is supported by NSDMA, Department of Art & Culture, Department of Youth Resources and Sports and invididuals, passionate about Literature.
Merenla Imsong further inaugurated the Nagaland Literature Festival 2025 Fair & Art Exhibition featuring the artworks of Adenuo Shirat Luikham & Thejavinuo Savi and ‘A Beginner’s Guide to the Butterflies of the Himalayan Realm’ by Wonchi and Mhayani Murry.
The inaugural programme was chaired by Teisovi Gerard Meyase, Assistant Professor, Kohima Science College Jotsoma.
