Chandigarh, Aug. 29 -- The 6th Prof B L Talwar oration was delivered by Dr RA Sastry of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital, Hyderabad, on the topic 'The teacher lives on: surgical wisdom from Prof B L Talwar in the digital era of artificial intelligence and simulation' at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on Friday. Addressing the growing role of artificial intelligence in medical education, Dr. Sastry acknowledged its potential in simulation, literature synthesis, conceptual learning and skill development, but cautioned against allowing it to replace human mentorship. "AI can teach technique. It can simulate complexity. It can predict outcomes. But AI cannot teach judgement, courage, compassion, ethics and humility. It can guide the hand, but only a teacher can shape the surgeon.' Remembering Prof Talwar as a demanding yet deeply committed mentor, Dr. Sastry recalled his philosophy of academic freedom. He further described the mentorship that shaped his surgical career, saying, " He let me struggle, but never let me fail. A young surgeon does not need protection from difficulty. He needs protection from catastrophe, and he provided exactly that." Calling for a balanced approach, he said, that it should liberate the teacher....