• Dr. Prathibha P

Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, creativity and autonomy. Applications and devices equipped with AI can understand and respond to human language. They can act independently, replacing the need for human intelligence or intervention. “The idea that this stuff could actually get smarter than people.... I thought it was way off…. Obviously, I no longer think that,” Geoffrey Hinton, one of Google’s top AI scientists, the godfather of AI said after he quit his job so that he can warn about the dangers of this technology. A 2023 survey of AI experts found that AI development may result in a “nuclear-level catastrophe.” Nearly 28,000 individuals including Steve Wozniak, Elon Musk, AI company CEOs, and other notable technologists have endorsed an open letter from the Future of Life Institute calling for a halt on the development of advanced AI systems. They warn that such systems could surpass human control, as they would be capable of outthinking us at speeds millions of times faster. Any defences we have built will be undone, like Gulliver throwing off the tiny strands the Lilliputians used to try and restrain him (Hunt 2023). This is the theme of Vikramaditya Motwane’s 2024 Hindi movie titled CTRL which tells the story of a small-time influencer whose life transforms after she joins an app named CTRL that takes control of her actions, propelling her to fame. However, she later realizes the app has a dark side. The movie is both contemporary and believable, exploring the unsettling consequences of AI and our growing dependence on technology. This paper attempts to portray the dangers of such apps while capturing the essence of Gen Z relationships and influencer culture.

AI, catasrophe, control, Gen Z, influencer, culture

"The AI Paradox: Convenience and Control in Vikramaditya Motwane’s CTRL (2024)", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 10, page no.f148-f152, October-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2510519.pdf

"The AI Paradox: Convenience and Control in Vikramaditya Motwane’s CTRL (2024)", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 10, page no. ppf148-f152, October-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2510519.pdf