World leaders, government officials and technology executives gathered in New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit, a week-long global gathering that has positioned the world’s most populous nation at the centre of an increasingly high-stakes conversation about the future of artificial intelligence.
Themed ‘Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya’ — welfare and happiness for all — the summit is the fourth in a series of international AI meetings that began in 2023, following previous editions in the United Kingdom, France and South Korea.
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It is the first time the summit has been hosted in a developing nation, a deliberate signal that the Global South intends to move from the margins to the centre of the AI debate.
Across keynote addresses and panel discussions, themes of responsible scaling, infrastructure investment, governance readiness, and inclusive innovation dominated the summit.
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Job disruption, child safety and regulation are also top on the agenda this year.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking on Thursday, warned that the future of AI cannot be left to “the whims of a few billionaires.” He called on technology companies to support a $3 billion global fund to ensure open access to the fast-advancing technology for developing nations.
“Without investment, many countries will be logged out of the AI age,” Mr Guterres said. “That is why, encouraged by the General Assembly of the United Nations, I am calling for a Global Fund on AI to build basic capacity in developing countries: skills, data, affordable computing power and inclusive ecosystems. Our target is $3 billion. That is less than one per cent of the annual revenue of a single tech company.”
Mr Guterres said AI, done right, could advance the Sustainable Development Goals, accelerate breakthroughs in medicine and strengthen food security, but warned it could equally deepen inequality and amplify bias. “No child should be a test subject for unregulated AI,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron also addressed the summit, stressing the need for shared governance. “The message I have come to convey is that we are determined to continue to shape the rules of the game, and to do so with our allies such as India,” Mr Macron said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi framed India’s participation as both an ambition and a responsibility. “AI technology will only be beneficial when it is shared, and its core systems are open,” Mr Modi said, adding that “the AI model which succeeds in India can be deployed all over the world.”
“We must resolve that AI is used for the global common good,” Mr Modi said in a post on X. “We are entering an era where humans and intelligence systems co-create, co-work and co-evolve.”
Attending the summit, Michael Kratsios, the White House representative, addressed middle powers’ fears. “Real AI sovereignty means owning and using best-in-class technology for the benefit of your people,” he said.
“Complete technological self-containment is unrealistic for any country, because the AI stack is incredibly complex. But strategic autonomy alongside rapid AI adoption is achievable, and it is a necessity for independent nations. America wants to help.”
“America is the only AI superpower willing and able to truly empower partner nations in your pursuit of meaningful AI sovereignty,” he added. “American companies can build large, independent AI infrastructure, with secure and robust supply chains that minimise backdoor risk. They build it; it’s yours.”
The summit has drawn more than 500 AI leaders, 100 founders and chief executives, 150 academics and researchers, and nearly 400 chief technology officers from over 100 countries, alongside more than 20 heads of state and government and over 60 ministers.
Google chief executive Sundar Pichai, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft President Brad Smith and AMI Labs Executive Chairman Yann LeCun are also attending.
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India sees the summit as an opportunity to project itself as a bridge between advanced economies and the Global South, leveraging what Mr Modi described as the strength of its 1.4 billion people, robust digital public infrastructure and a vibrant startup ecosystem.
The summit carries the loose themes of “people, progress, planet” — described as the “three sutras.”
Like its predecessors, the India AI Impact Summit is not expected to produce a binding political agreement, but may conclude with a nonbinding pledge or declaration on AI development goals.
The series has evolved considerably since its first edition in November 2023, barely a year after the launch of ChatGPT, when discussions were tightly focused on the safety risks of cutting-edge AI systems. The summits have since broadened into wide-ranging forums in which safety is just one of many concerns, alongside trade, governance and economic opportunity.
Last year’s Paris AI Action Summit was dominated by a speech from United States Vice President JD Vance, who warned global leaders against “excessive regulation” that could hobble the rapidly growing AI industry.
