NEW DELHI — A powerful consensus emerged at the Global Artificial Intelligence Summit in New Delhi on Thursday, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman leading calls for universal access to AI technology and urgent regulatory frameworks.
A “Universal” Technology Needing Guardrails
Sam Altman, whose company created ChatGPT, stated the world has an “urgent” need for “regulation or protections” for a technology of such power. His warning came from the summit stage, where global political leaders and tech elites gathered to discuss AI’s breakneck development.
Echoing the theme of inclusivity, UN chief Antonio Guterres declared, “AI must belong to everyone,” arguing its future cannot be left “to the whims of a few billionaires.” Prime Minister Modi similarly advocated for technology that is “accessible and inclusive.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, participating remotely, positioned Europe as a “safe space” that is “determined to continue defining the rules of the game and to do so with our allies, such as India.”
Bill Gates Withdraws Amid Controversy
The summit was not without controversy. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, initially scheduled to deliver a keynote, withdrew after his name surfaced in connection with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation stated the decision was made “after careful consideration” to keep focus on the summit’s key priorities. Gates has denied any wrongdoing.
Other notable attendees included Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis.
Job Displacement Fears and India’s AI Ambition
The summit grappled with profound concerns over AI’s societal impact, particularly on employment. “We are creating systems capable of imitating humans. And so, of course, the natural application of this type of system is to replace humans,” noted renowned computer scientist Stuart Russell in an interview with AFP. This is a critical issue for India, where millions work in call centers and technical support roles.
Hosting its first major AI summit as a developing nation, India is aggressively positioning itself as a future hub. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced India aims to attract $200 billion in tech investments over two years, including for AI projects. This follows $90 billion pledged last year by companies like Google and Microsoft for data centers.
Investment Deluge for Indian AI Infrastructure
The summit served as a platform for major investment announcements:
- OpenAI and Indian giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will build a data center in India.
- Reliance Industries committed to investing $110 billion over seven years in AI and advanced computing.
- Nvidia, the world’s leading AI chipmaker, partnered with Indian firm L&T to create what it calls “India’s largest AI factory.”
- Google announced plans to build new submarine cables from India.
India now ranks third globally in AI competitiveness, according to a Stanford University index, surpassing South Korea and Japan. However, experts caution the country still has significant ground to cover to rival the US and China in the AI arena.
