<p>The India AI Impact Summit, which concluded in New Delhi last week, was the first such conclave to be held in the Global South, which has so far had a marginal presence in conversations on AI and its governance structures. This was an opportunity for Global South nations, especially India, to be a part of high-level deliberations on the transformative technology which is changing the world. The Delhi Declaration, adopted at the summit, appropriately called for a democratisation of AI. It aligned with the priorities India had set, which included making AI capabilities available to as many people as possible and making the technology “safe and trusted”. The Declaration was signed by the United States, China, France, and other major players in AI.</p>.<p>At the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for an alternative vision of AI, based on open code and shared development. Ultimately, AI technologies must serve the global common good. This is critical to a domain which is witnessing intense competition between nations and companies. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused to hold hands in public at the summit. AI is still a technology in its infancy, and its directions are not yet known. But it is expected to leave a major impact across fields – industry, medicine, agriculture, law, social sciences, styles of governance, and even private and public life, in an unprecedented manner. Major economic powers such as the US and China are leading the race at the moment. Adhering to the motto proposed by Modi – MANAV (moral and ethical systems, accountable governance, national sovereignty, accessible and inclusive AI, and valid and legitimate systems) – will not be easy in a field where geopolitical interests are at stake. However, some fundamental guidelines and directions have to be emphasised for the common good.</p>.'Shirtless protest' at AI Summit: Delhi Police nabs 3 Indian Youth Congress workers in Gwalior.<p>According to the government, investment commitments of over $250 billion and research commitments worth $20 billion were made at the summit, where the world’s top technology firms were represented. India is entering into partnerships with key global industry players, potentially transferring technology and capital. The country has to push research and innovation with timelines and experimentation tailored for its requirements and context. There is heightened interest and activity related to AI at the level of government and outside it. Startups and innovators will have important takeaways from the AI summit. What the conclave proposed in terms of directions on the adoption of AI will now need to be translated into policies, with trust and equitable access at their centre.</p><p><em>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)</em></p>
<p>The India AI Impact Summit, which concluded in New Delhi last week, was the first such conclave to be held in the Global South, which has so far had a marginal presence in conversations on AI and its governance structures. This was an opportunity for Global South nations, especially India, to be a part of high-level deliberations on the transformative technology which is changing the world. The Delhi Declaration, adopted at the summit, appropriately called for a democratisation of AI. It aligned with the priorities India had set, which included making AI capabilities available to as many people as possible and making the technology “safe and trusted”. The Declaration was signed by the United States, China, France, and other major players in AI.</p>.<p>At the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for an alternative vision of AI, based on open code and shared development. Ultimately, AI technologies must serve the global common good. This is critical to a domain which is witnessing intense competition between nations and companies. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused to hold hands in public at the summit. AI is still a technology in its infancy, and its directions are not yet known. But it is expected to leave a major impact across fields – industry, medicine, agriculture, law, social sciences, styles of governance, and even private and public life, in an unprecedented manner. Major economic powers such as the US and China are leading the race at the moment. Adhering to the motto proposed by Modi – MANAV (moral and ethical systems, accountable governance, national sovereignty, accessible and inclusive AI, and valid and legitimate systems) – will not be easy in a field where geopolitical interests are at stake. However, some fundamental guidelines and directions have to be emphasised for the common good.</p>.'Shirtless protest' at AI Summit: Delhi Police nabs 3 Indian Youth Congress workers in Gwalior.<p>According to the government, investment commitments of over $250 billion and research commitments worth $20 billion were made at the summit, where the world’s top technology firms were represented. India is entering into partnerships with key global industry players, potentially transferring technology and capital. The country has to push research and innovation with timelines and experimentation tailored for its requirements and context. There is heightened interest and activity related to AI at the level of government and outside it. Startups and innovators will have important takeaways from the AI summit. What the conclave proposed in terms of directions on the adoption of AI will now need to be translated into policies, with trust and equitable access at their centre.</p><p><em>(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)</em></p>
