An AI Summit… Where You Couldn’t Bring a Laptop

You’d expect an AI conference to buzz with code, devices, demos, and founders hunched over screens tweaking last-minute pitches.

Instead, attendees at India’s AI Impact Summit were greeted with a prohibited items list that felt less like tech policy and more like airport security meets satire.

The irony? You could attend an artificial intelligence summit — just don’t bring the tools that power intelligence.

1️⃣ Bags? Leave Them. Thoughts? Optional.

The official restrictions reportedly barred bags.

Arrive empty-handed.

At a conference.

For innovators.

The symbolism practically wrote itself.

2️⃣ car Keys? Good Luck Getting Home.

car keys were on the prohibited list, too.

Because apparently, arriving at a venue requires teleportation.

The message wasn’t just restrictive — it was bewildering.

3️⃣ Laptops? Absolutely Not.

This one hit hardest.

A technology summit banning laptops feels like a medical conference banning stethoscopes.

Startups build on demos. Investors want walkthroughs. Founders iterate live.

But here, the most essential tool of modern innovation was deemed unnecessary.

4️⃣ Earbuds? Listening Is Optional.

Even earbuds were restricted.

At an event built around ideas, collaboration, and learning, personal tech — even something as basic as wireless audio — was off-limits.

It wasn’t just about safety. It felt like overcorrection.

5️⃣ Water? Survival Mode Not Included.

Attendees reportedly couldn’t carry water either.

For a day-long event in a crowded venue, that’s not just inconvenient — it’s impractical.

6️⃣ Sharp Objects… Including Sharp Questions?

Officially, sharp objects were prohibited.

Unofficially, the joke writes itself: sharp, uncomfortable questions during panels might not have been welcome either.

Because when execution falters, tough questions tend to follow.

When Optics Take Priority

Security is important. No one disputes that.

But when the restrictions start to feel disconnected from the event’s purpose, frustration builds. Especially when the summit markets itself as a milestone in India’s AI journey.

Innovation thrives in environments that feel open, functional, and thoughtfully organized.

It struggles when enthusiasm has to pass through layers of unnecessary obstruction.

The Bigger Irony

India has enormous AI potential. Brilliant founders. Strong engineering talent. Global ambition.

But technology leadership isn’t signaled by banners and stage backdrops. It’s reflected in how well events are executed. How founders are treated. How practical needs are handled.

If this is how we host AI events, maybe the only artificial intelligence in the room was the expectation that logic would guide the process.

Because startups don’t need spectacle.

They need systems that actually work.