“Don’t wait to be disrupted. Build the disruption.” Resounding words from Dr Sandeep Goyal that laid the foundation for Aesthetic Intelligence Lab (AIL).
Designed with pipelines trained on Indian datasets, AIL’s tools deliver the kind of aesthetic fidelity and cultural nuance global platforms can’t. Their bold offerings include an AI Agency of Record, an AI Influencer IP House and a proprietary AI SaaS stack, in the works.
In an interview with BrandSutra, Carol Goyal, Managing Director of AIL, explains how the Lab is empowering a new generation of creators. “Dr Goyal gave us the freedom to question old rules and the wisdom to respect what must remain sacred. In doing so, we’ve built something that feels both inevitable and intentional,” she says.
Edited excerpts…
What inspired the launch of the Aesthetic Intelligence Lab and what are some of its core objectives?
The Aesthetic Intelligence Lab was born out of both necessity and legacy. We were standing at the edge of a massive creative-technology shift—and it was clear to us that Indian brands needed more than just new tools. They needed a new institution. AIL is that institution.
Much of the inspiration came from watching Dr Sandeep Goyal’s four-decade journey through the tectonic shifts in Indian media—from launching Airtel in the '90s to leading ZEE at the dawn of digital. It was his foresight that said: “Don’t wait to be disrupted. Build the disruption.”
AIL’s core objective is simple yet ambitious: to rewire the creative production process through generative AI—while preserving the soul of storytelling. We want to make India’s creative heritage future-proof.
How do you define ‘aesthetic intelligence’ in the context of branding and design?
Aesthetic intelligence is where design meets discernment. It’s not just about visuals—it’s about visual decisions. It's the instinct that knows when a frame feels authentic or when a voice feels human.
Dr Goyal has often said, “AI can imitate beauty. But it can’t understand belonging.” That’s our mantra at AIL. We believe that real brand impact is created not through generative capacity, but through curatorial clarity.
In an age where anyone can generate content, it’s the judgment behind the content that truly matters. Aesthetic Intelligence is our compass.
What kind of design or branding challenges is the Lab best suited to solve?
We’re best suited to solve for the modern marketer’s biggest nightmare: doing more faster and with fewer resources—without compromising on quality or emotional depth.
Whether it’s creating 100 language-specific adaptations of a campaign overnight or developing an AI influencer who can switch personas for different regional audiences—these are challenges we’re built for.
Our model is especially effective when the brief demands personalisation at scale. That’s where AI shines—but only when handled with editorial and cultural sophistication.
Can you tell us more about the specific AI tools or technologies being used at the Lab?
Our production stack is vast and evolving. We use Runway and Pika Labs for video generation, Midjourney and Leonardo for stills and look development, ElevenLabs and Soundraw for voice and audio, and Luma AI for 3D and environmental work. But to us, tools are just ingredients.
The real differentiation comes from our pipelines—bespoke models trained on Indian datasets, orchestrated via Python, Hugging Face and vector databases. These pipelines are tuned for the kind of aesthetic fidelity and cultural nuance that Indian brands require but global tools don't deliver out of the box.
Are there particular sectors or industries you believe will benefit most from this kind of aesthetic-tech approach?
Absolutely. Sectors like FMCG, beauty, fashion and edtech—where visual storytelling is the marketing engine—are immediate beneficiaries. But we’re also seeing traditional industries like banking, healthcare and even policy engage with us because they understand the need to communicate faster, better and in more relatable formats.
Our approach is industry-agnostic but emotionally specific. That’s the magic.
What’s next for the Aesthetic Intelligence Lab? Any upcoming launches or collaborations we should watch for?
We’re expanding across three tracks. First, our core offering as an AI Agency of Record is gaining momentum—we’re already working with Tata Play, Nerolac and Taj Hotels.
Second, we’re launching India’s first AI Influencer IP House—a game-changer for brands looking to own culturally versatile, scalable digital faces.
And third, we’re exploring a proprietary AI SaaS stack, possibly made available to agencies and production studios. Additionally, we’re in active conversation with Indian universities to co-develop creative AI curricula. The goal: build not just campaigns but a whole new generation of AI-native creators.
What excites you most about the future of design and technology? Are there any anxieties?
I’m thrilled by the flattening of access. A teenager with a phone and an idea can now animate, edit, voice-act and publish a campaign-quality video in hours. That kind of power used to be locked in glass buildings and studios. It’s been unlocked.
But I’m also cautious. We’re entering a phase where the ability to generate content is outpacing our ability to critically evaluate it. My biggest fear is aesthetic fatigue—where everything looks slick but feels empty. That’s why we’re investing not just in tools, but in taste. In building the capacity to say “no” to what’s not authentic.
(Aesthetic Intelligence Lab has been setup by Rediffusion Chairman, Dr. Sandeep Goyal. The new entity is however independent of the ad agency. The company is run by Carol Goyal as Managing Director, assisted by Maninder Singh, who looks after Content, Creative and Innovation.)
