News Desk
PARIS—Asserting that the world is at the “dawn of the AI age,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday proposed that India host the next global Artificial Intelligence summit, underscoring the need for a unified international framework that fosters trust, transparency, and equitable access, particularly for the Global South.
Modi made the announcement while co-chairing the AI Action Summit in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. India’s offer was later confirmed by S. Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, who said the proposal had been accepted, with the summit to be held later this year.
“AI is reshaping our polity, economy, security, and even our society,” Modi said in his address. “But its rapid evolution calls for collective efforts to ensure that governance frameworks address risks while fostering innovation.”
He emphasized the importance of open-source AI systems to enhance trust, alongside unbiased datasets to prevent algorithmic distortions. Addressing concerns about job losses due to automation, Modi argued that history has shown that technological shifts create new job opportunities, rather than eliminating work outright. He called for investments in upskilling and re-skilling programs to prepare workforces for AI-driven economies.
India, he said, has already taken strides in AI adoption, with one of the world’s largest talent pools and a unique public-private partnership model that facilitates affordable access to computational resources for startups and researchers. Modi cited India’s success in building a cost-effective digital public infrastructure for its 1.4 billion people, saying it could serve as a model for AI governance.
The AI Action Summit, which drew participation from global leaders including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, focused on the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence. Macron, welcoming India’s bid to host the next summit, reiterated the need for AI governance that balances innovation with sustainability and ethical considerations.
The summit concluded with the formation of an ‘AI Foundation’ and a ‘Council for Sustainable AI,’ initiatives Modi pledged India’s full support for. “We must ensure that the Global Partnership for AI is truly global, inclusive of the priorities and needs of the Global South,” he said. “To build on the momentum of this summit, India is ready to take the lead.”
