OHM Founder Sathi Roy Explores AI, Consciousness and Human Agency at The AI Collective Bangkok

These conversations formed the backdrop of The AI Collective's launch in Bangkok. With nearly one million members worldwide, the organisation has emerged as one of the largest global communities focused on artificial intelligence. As part of a global talk series being led in collaboration with The AI Collective, Sathi Roy, Founder and CEO of Our Highest Mantra (OHM), joined technology futurist James Pimentel-Pinto and a global audience of innovators and thought leaders to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence and human consciousness.

Roy is currently undertaking a global speaking tour on AI and Consciousness in partnership with The AI Collective, bringing conversations on technology, human awareness and the future of human flourishing to audiences across major cities worldwide. She views AI and consciousness as one of the defining conversations of the decade as societies grapple with the profound implications of increasingly intelligent technologies on human identity, agency and lived experience.

Sathi represents a new generation of humanist entrepreneurs and innovation pioneers, while James represents The AI Collective as a technology futurist who pioneered the hybrid app model and has delivered more than 27 App Store number-one products for companies including Apple and Google, and now for Our Highest Mantra (OHM).

Roy challenged the increasingly common assumption that intelligence and consciousness are interchangeable concepts, arguing that while AI may become one of the most powerful tools humanity has ever created, it remains fundamentally different from lived human experience.

"Artificial intelligence is becoming part of the operating system of modern life. It can organize information, speed up work, identify patterns and help us solve problems at a scale previously unimaginable," said Roy. "But intelligence is not the same as consciousness. Consciousness is lived experience: memory, emotion, intuition, meaning, relationships and the ability to be transformed by life itself."

She emphasized that the more pressing question facing society is not whether AI will replace human beings, but what kind of human beings we are becoming as it becomes woven into daily life.

"The deeper risk is not that machines become more capable," Roy said. "It is that we begin surrendering our own agency without realizing it. We can outsource calculations and repetitive tasks, but we must be careful not to outsource curiosity, discernment and the discomfort of not knowing. Some of humanity's greatest growth emerges from uncertainty, reflection and direct experience."

Drawing on OHM's philosophy of integrating timeless wisdom with contemporary understanding, Roy noted that questions of consciousness, perception and identity have been explored across civilizations for thousands of years and remain deeply relevant today.

AJ Green, Executive Director of The AI Collective, said: "As The AI Collective continues to grow globally, we are excited to expand our community in Bangkok and create a space for meaningful conversations about the future. Questions about identity, agency, creativity, responsibility, and what it means to be human are becoming just as important as questions about capability and performance. Amplifying leaders like Sathi Roy reflects our commitment to exploring not only the capabilities of emerging technologies, but also their broader impact on people, culture and society."

The session formed part of The AI Collective's ongoing efforts to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and thinkers to examine the possibilities, tensions and responsibilities that come with building the next chapter of technology.