Jun 30 2026 to Jun 30 2026 6:30 p.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

Does the key to understanding AI lie in our own brains?

AI borrows heavily from neuroscience: neural networks, deep learning, reinforcement signals. But where do the metaphors break down? And what does this exchange reveal about the nature of mind itself?

In this conversation, biologist-neuroscientist K VijayRaghavan, Distinguished Professor at NCBS and former Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, and technology-policy researcher Aditya Kumar, explore the deep dialogue between biological and artificial intelligence.

A rare conversation where both human and machine intelligence are examined together, from a human point of view.

Speakers

K VijayRaghavan
Distinguished Professor, NCBS & Former Principal Scientific Adviser, Govt. of India
K VijayRaghavan is a renowned Indian scientist and former Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, from 2018 to 2022. He is a Fellow of several esteemed scientific academies, including The Royal Society and the US National Academy of Sciences, and was honored with the Padma Shri in 2013 for his contributions to science. In his capacity as Principal Scientific Adviser, VijayRaghavan played a key role in guiding national policy on science, technology, and innovation, with the goal of promoting sustainable development and enhancing societal well-being.

Over the course of his career, he has also served as Director of NCBS and as Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). He is currently a Distinguished Professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore. His research spans developmental biology, genetics, and neurogenetics, with a focus on how the nervous system and muscles are regulated during development.

Aditya Kumar
Technology & Policy Researcher
Aditya is a computer scientist by training and has worked across the policy and technology ecosystems, with a focus on the intersections of human and machine intelligence. In Delhi, he worked with government, academia, corporates, and multilateral organisations on innovation and investment promotion. He later moved to Bangalore to work with organisations deploying AI across business and operations, from startups to large enterprises.
He is also active in Bangalore’s public life and is especially interested in ideas, culture, psychology, and philosophy, which he sees as important lenses for thinking about the future of AI and its place in society.