Editorial 2: ​India can reframe the Artificial Intelligence debate

Context

As the host of next year's AI Impact Summit, India has the chance to lead the way by guiding AI to help people and serve the public good.

Introduction

Just a few years ago, tools like ChatGPT brought artificial intelligence (AI) out of labs and into everyday life—into our homes, schools, and even parliaments. The impact was immediate, and world leaders quickly realized how powerfuland fast-moving this technology had become. Even though the global calendar was already full of summits, three major international meetings on AI were held soon after. Now, as New Delhi prepares to host the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, it has the chance to do more than just gather a big crowd. It can prove that governments—not just big tech companies—have the ability and responsibility to guide AI in ways that truly benefit society

India can bridge the divide

Pledges and report cards

1. Measure What Matters

• Digital Inclusion: India’s tools like Aadhaar (digital identity for 1+ billion) and UPI (instant money transfers) show that tech can serve all.
• Action-Oriented Goals: Every delegation at the 2026 summit should set 1 measurable goal for 12 months.
  • Examples:
    • Company: Cut data center electricity use.
    • University: Offer a free AI course for rural girls.
    • Government: Translate health advice using AI into local languages.
• Transparency & Accountability: Publish all pledges on a public website, track progress via a scoreboard, and issue report cards instead of press releases.

2. Empower the Global South

• Inclusivity: Half the world was missing from the first summit’s photo. That must not repeat.
• India’s Leadership: As a Global South voice, India should ensure wide participation.
• AI for Billions Fund: Propose a fund backed by development banks and Gulf investors to:
  • Provide cloud credits, fellowships, and local language datasets.
• Multilingual Innovation: Launch a model challenge for 50 underserved languages with prizes announced at summit’s end.
• Core Message: Talent exists everywhere, not just in California or Beijing.

3. Build a Common AI Safety Check

• Global Safety Tools: Since the 2023 AI Safety Summit, experts demand stress tests and red teaming.
• Need for Collaboration: Many safety institutes exist, but no unified checklist.
• India’s Role: Form a Global AI Safety Collaborative to:
  • Share stress test tools, incident logs, and checklists for high-compute models.
• Transparency Tools: India’s AI institute can publish an open evaluation kit with code and bias testing datasets.

4. Champion Balanced AI Regulations

• Diverse Approaches:
  • U.S. resists strong rules
  • EU enforces strict regulation (AI Act)
  • China uses state control
• India's Unique Position: Propose a middle path:
  • Draft a voluntary code of conduct based on the Seoul Pledge.
  • Make it stronger by requiring:
    • Red team results within 90 days
    • Compute disclosure past certain thresholds
    • AI accident hotline

5. Prevent Global Fragmentation

• Avoid Rivalry-Based Summits: Tensions between U.S. and China over AI leadership risk splintered efforts.
• India's Diplomacy: Use the summit to offer a broad, inclusive agenda focused on shared global benefits.
• Unifying Goal: Promote collaboration over competition in AI policy and development.

Conclusion

India can't build a global AI authority overnight, nor should it attempt to. Instead, it can bring together existing effortsand lead a strong initiative to share AI capabilities with the Global South. If India can turn global participation into real progress, it won’t just be hosting another summit — it will be reshaping its global role on one of the most critical issues of our time.