India’s AI Impact Summit opens in Delhi this week with a high profile inauguration by Prime Minister Modi. Also present will be Presidents Lula of Brazil and Macron of France, add to that ministers and officials from 100 countries, global CEOs, tech leaders and so on.
Missing will be leaders from India’s neighbourhood but that may not reflect so much on India: Bangladesh and Myanmar have just completed elections and a political transition is underway. Nepal is heading into an election next month. Sri Lanka is recovering from the impact of floods and cyclone but is sending someone. China, we are told by the MEA, has been invited but it’s not clear who will attend.
Modi, who has driven this event, is apparently clear that the world’s AI conversation should shift from safety and security concerns to development, inclusion and the priorities of the Global South.
The event is structured around three pillars: People, Planet and Progress. And these will branch into seven thematic working groups including AI skilling, social inclusion, safety, scientific research, sustainable computing, democratising access and economic growth.
On February 17, the government will release the AI Compendium, which will have the case studies of AI applications in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education and energy. 18th and 19th will involve leaders engagement.
India’s AI Perspective
“In all of these discussions and debates, which primarily emanate from Europe and North America, the focus has largely been on safety aspects. For India, technology has always been a tool for development, whether through UPI, Aadhaar, or digital public infrastructure, to empower citizens, improve governance efficiency and extend services to the remotest parts of the country,” a senior MEA official said.
The purpose of hosting the summit, the official added, is to foreground the developmental applications of AI and amplify the perspectives of the Global South.
The summit is designed not only as a diplomatic event but as a platform to shape the global AI agenda by embedding development, inclusion and equity into future governance frameworks.
