India concluded its flagship AI summit in Delhi this weekend, with dozens of countries endorsing a declaration to 'democratise' artificial intelligence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed the issue at the centre of his pitch to world leaders and tech CEOs, seeking to position India as a third option in the global AI race, long framed as a contest between Silicon Valley and Beijing.
The New Delhi Declaration, signed by 89 countries and organisations, commits to the 'democratic diffusion' of AI, focusing on expanding access, building skills and promoting cooperation. Experts say the declaration highlights a shift in AI diplomacy towards inclusion, beyond safety concerns. 'The summit placed inclusion at the centre of the AI agenda,' said Heather Dawe, head of responsible AI at UST, noting the unified message that AI must reflect shared values.
Modi described AI as a 'global common good' that must be democratised, especially for the Global South. UN Secretary-General António Guterres backed the call, warning that AI's future 'cannot be decided by a handful of countries or left to the whims of a few billionaires.' Technology executives signalled openness to stronger governance, with OpenAI chief Sam Altman proposing an international body modelled on the IAEA.
India's technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw called the summit a 'grand success', citing 20 world leaders, delegates from over 100 countries and more than 250,000 attendees. Neither US President Donald Trump nor Chinese President Xi Jinping attended, though officials and companies from both nations signed the declaration. French President Emmanuel Macron told the summit: 'We don't want to be dependent on a totally US or totally Chinese model.'
Analysts say the summit reflected strained US-EU ties after Trump's threats over Greenland, pushing countries towards a third pole. Cambridge's Sean O hEigeartaigh wrote that the most important conversations were around coordination between 'middle powers', suggesting a coalition might emerge as a welcome third pole in the AI race. For India, becoming an alternative also means greater control over AI systems amid geopolitical uncertainties and trade tensions with the US, with the word 'sovereignty' appearing repeatedly across panels and product launches.
