Exclusive| ‘AI is like having a Harry Potter wand’: Actress Aditi Rao Hydari at iPhone 16 launch

Apple launched its much-awaited iPhone 16 series which includes iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Tech Today’s Aayush Ailawadi caught up with Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddarth at Apple Park on the sidelines of the tech giant’s “Glowtime” event. The tech giant announced quite a handful of capabilities for the new iPhones with Apple Intelligence. To this, she said, “I think their focus on privacy is wonderful. AI can be scary, but with features like these, it feels empowering—almost like having a Harry Potter wand!”

Talking about the camera upgrades of the new iPhones from the past few years and their impact on the entertainment industry, she said, “While I haven’t been on a set where they’re using an iPhone to shoot, the accessibility is empowering creators. It’s inspiring for people like me, who haven’t formally learned filmmaking, to experiment with it.”

Siddarth added, “When I started, breaking into entertainment was incredibly tough. But today, with devices like the iPhone, there are no excuses. The barriers are gone. And this has led to the creation of so many jobs that didn’t exist before. We’ve even started sneaking in the occasional iPhone shot in films without anyone noticing.”

It was Hydari’s first time attending the Apple keynote. She said, “There was so much emotion tied to all the tech talk—I actually teared up. It was overwhelming in the best way.”

When asked about that one device that they don’t leave their home without, Hydari answered her iPhone while Siddarth stated that he never leaves without his iPad. He noted, "a Mac studio person, especially for editing and music production. But the iPad has been a game-changer. With the Magic Keyboard and Pencil, I’ve been using it for music production with Logic Pro—it’s incredible."