Ancient algorithms: Bharata Muni, AI and the future of media ecologies

This essay explores how contemporary recommendation algorithms and AI, operating across digital media platforms, reflect ancient dramaturgical principles codified in Bharata Muni’s Natyashastra . By situating Bollywood within the tradition of media ecology theorists like McLuhan and Nardi and O’Day, the essay argues that digital systems inherit the logic of rasa – structured emotional experiences – through data-driven curation and pattern recognition. Drawing on examples from classical performance and virtual reality installations, the analysis illuminates how determinants, expressive responses and transient emotions in Natyashastra foreshadow today’s algorithmic shaping of affect. A speculative dialogue between Bharata Muni and a machine learning engineer probes the ethical, communal and design implications for the future of media ecologies, insisting that true innovation lies in conscious adaptation of ancient codes for human flourishing in digital environments.