AI Takes Center Stage at Gold Gala Honoring AAPI Leaders in Hollywood and Tech

On the surface, the Gold Gala held in Los Angeles at the Music Center's Jerry Moss Plaza buzzed with classic Hollywood glitz and glamour. Hundreds of guests dressed in formal attire walked the gold carpet, sipped signature cocktails, and enjoyed Filipino cuisine prepared by James Beard Award-winning chef Lord Maynard Llera, braving the 90-degreeheat on Saturday. The event, hosted by Gold House—a cultural ecosystem dedicated to uniting, investing in, and championing Asian Pacific leaders—celebrated the organization’s A100 list, recognizing the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific leaders in culture and society over the past year. Among the A1 honorees were groundbreaking directors Jon M. Chu and Ang Lee, and musicians Laufey, Anderson.Paak, and Megan Thee Stallion. The evening featured A-list talent presenting and performing, adding to the festive atmosphere. During the ceremony, Gold House also recognized its top A1 honorees, who were deemed to have had the most significant impact in their respective industries. Despite the focus on entertainment, the influence of technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), was a prominent theme throughout the night. Aravind Srinivas, CEO and cofounder of Perplexity AI, an innovative AI-based search engine aiming to challenge Google, received the A1 Business & Technology Award. Srinivas, known for his work in pushing the boundaries of AI, lightheartedly remarked about his fame in Silicon Valley. The presence of other tech luminaries was also notable, with Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, OpenAI’s Mark Chen, and Anthropic’s CFO Krishna Rao featured among the A100 honorees. Bing Chen, CEO and Executive Chairman of Gold House, added to the tech-focused chatter by joking that ChatGPT had helped him craft a poem for the dinner ceremony. The conversation at various tables highlighted the growing integration of AI into daily life and the ongoing debate about balancing human creativity with machine capabilities. Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, one of the A1 honorees, provided a nuanced perspective on the role of AI in the future. While acknowledging that AI is rapidly reshaping multiple sectors, Mukherjee expressed skepticism about its impact on the entertainment industry. “The world is changing now as we move from the age of influence to the age of intelligence, and AI is going to make groundbreaking changes in many sectors,” he said. However, he warned, “AI is going to die a very quick and painful death because people will understand the importance of humanity.” The Gold Gala thus served as a platform to celebrate AAPI excellence and to reflect on the evolving relationship between human creativity and technological advancement. The event not only recognized the achievements of prominent AAPI figures but also underscored the growing relevance of AI and the need to navigate its implications thoughtfully. Industry Evaluation and Company Profiles The Gold Gala’s inclusion of tech leaders alongside entertainment icons signals a broader trend of the tech industry’s increasing influence on culture. Perplexity AI, led by Aravind Srinivas, is at the forefront of this movement, challenging traditional tech giants like Google with its advanced search algorithms. Industry insiders see this trend as a double-edged sword; while it highlights the rapid advancements in AI and its potential to revolutionize various fields, it also raises concerns about the preservation of creativity and human touch, especially in creative industries. Gold House, through events like the Gold Gala, plays a vital role in fostering dialogue and ensuring that the conversation around AI’s impact remains balanced and constructive.