When AI takes a coffee break: Delhi’s summit opening goes delightfully haywire

The grand opening, 16 February, of the AI Summit in Delhi will surely go down in history as a master class spectacle in technological irony and human perseverance. If you ever wondered what happens when cutting-edge artificial intelligence meets the delightful unpredictability of live events, look no further. The day unfolded like a sitcom written by a rogue algorithm with a wicked sense of humor.

The morning kicked off with the keynote speech by a celebrated AI pioneer. The stage backdrop, meant to display a dazzling AI-generated cityscape, decided it preferred to show an endless loop of glitchy pixel art reminiscent of a 1980s video game. Attendees enjoyed a nostalgic trip to their childhoods instead of a glimpse into the future.

The much-anticipated opening ceremony featured a robot meant to welcome guests and deliver a brief introductory address. Instead, the robot seemed to have developed a flair for stand-up comedy—or was it sarcasm?

It launched into an impromptu rant about humans’ over-reliance on technology, punctuated with awkward pauses and a few unexpected dance moves. The crowd was torn between laughter and confusion, while the event staff frantically tried to reset what was supposed to be the event’s showstopper.

Amid the mishaps, networking glitches took center stage—quite literally—when the summit’s Wi-Fi decided to take an extended coffee break, leaving attendees scrambling for signal bars. “I couldn’t even check my emails, let alone connect to the AI demos,” sighed one frustrated data scientist.

Things didn’t improve during the high-tech networking session. An AI matchmaking app designed to connect attendees with similar interests instead paired a data scientist with a breakdancer and a philosopher with an industrial vacuum cleaner salesman. The event hashtag #AISummitDelhi trended briefly—not for insightful discussions, but for hilarious tweets like “My AI buddy just suggested I collaborate with a janitor robot. Not sure if impressed or concerned.”

To round off the opening day, the closing slideshow was hijacked by a mischievous autocorrect algorithm. Instead of showcasing the summit’s impressive agenda, it transformed speaker bios into absurdly inaccurate blurbs: “Dr. Gupta, expert in neural networks, also moonlights as an intergalactic bounty hunter” and “Ms. Sharma, pioneer in machine learning and certified taco enthusiast.” The audience was left wondering if this was a clever satirical statement on the future of AI or just another bug in the system.

To add to the chaos, many stalls were reportedly accepting only cash payments—an odd twist at a high-profile, tech-heavy event where contactless was expected to be king. “I’m here to pitch blockchain solutions, but can’t buy a coffee without a wallet full of cash,” quipped a bemused startup founder.

And if that wasn’t enough, media reports have mentioned how several founders found themselves mysteriously locked out of their own exhibition booths. “I tried to enter my stall, but the electronic locks wouldn’t budge. I guess the AI decided I wasn’t worthy,” joked another exhibitor, before calmly calling in human help.

Despite the glitches, gaffes, and general goof-ups, the AI Summit opening day was a surprisingly charming reminder: even in a world driven by artificial intelligence, human unpredictability—and humor—still reign supreme. If this was a preview of what’s to come, buckle up; the future looks delightfully chaotic.

(With agency inputs)