PNNKolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 3: TEDxIEMSaltLake 2026 was successfully organised on 30th September 2026 at the IEDC CSE Lab, Godrej Genesis, Salt Lake, Kolkata, around the thought-provoking and highly relevant theme "CTRL + U: Loneliness in the Era of AI." The event brought together distinguished personalities from technology, academia, medicine, arts, entertainment and spirituality to explore the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence, loneliness and human connection.The event was organised by the Department of Basic Science and Humanities, Institute of Engineering & Management (IEM), Kolkata, in association with the Toastmasters Club, Rotary Club of Salt Lake Silicon Valley, Lions Club of Kolkata IEM, and Lions Club of Kolkata Salt Lake IEM.

The initiative sought to create a meaningful platform where ideas from diverse disciplines could converge around one of the most important questions of the digital age: as technology makes the world increasingly connected, how can society preserve empathy, emotional closeness and authentic human relationships?TEDxIEMSaltLake 2026 featured an eminent and diverse line-up of speakers.

The distinguished speakers included Satish Reddy Eadala, Development Director, Electronic Arts (EA); Chaiti Ghoshal, Film and Theatre Actor; Lagnajita Chakraborty, Playback Singer; Bhakt Bhagwat, Spiritual Orator and one of the youngest TEDx speakers in the world; Dr.

Kunal Sarkar, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon; Prof.

Suman Chakraborty, Director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur; and Prof.

Satyajit Chakrabarti, Vice Chancellor, University of Engineering & Management (UEM), Kolkata.The diversity of the speakers added a distinctive dimension to the event.

Drawing upon experiences from their respective fields, they presented varied perspectives on technology, creativity, relationships, well-being, spirituality, education and the changing patterns of human interaction.

Their ideas encouraged the audience to look beyond artificial intelligence purely as a technological advancement and consider its wider implications for individuals, communities and society.

The theme "CTRL + U: Loneliness in the....