AI summit

THE Paris Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit, co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comes at a fresh inflection point. Establishing the rules of the game has assumed centre stage as China’s budget-friendly DeepSeek foundational model shakes up the international competition. AI cannot be the Wild West, French President Emmanuel Macron has said, voicing the need to chart out a collaborative governance template. On paper, the summit aims to address how to harness AI’s potential so that it benefits everyone, while containing its myriad risks. In actuality, the geopolitics around AI will be on full display as the US dominance shows cracks in the battle for tech supremacy. It will be a test of skills for world leaders, industry honchos and experts to arrive at a broad consensus on guiding the development of the rapidly advancing technology.

Advertisement

In 2023, the summit in the UK resulted in a non-binding pledge by 28 nations to tackle AI risks. Last year saw another pledge in South Korea to set up a network of public AI safety institutes to advance research. Agreed, the potential of such events to effect any comprehensive change given the high stakes involved in the AI race is limited. A binding regulation may not emerge in Paris, too. Yet, any progress in the global dialogue concerning AI governance, even if incremental, is a step forward in confronting the extreme dangers that AI poses.

The Paris agenda also aims for a more ethical, democratic and environmentally sustainable AI. These may seem to be wishful objectives on the face of it, but are significant nevertheless. The future of work, inclusivity, public service AI, innovation and culture, trust in AI — widening the scope and persisting with issues of concern only increase the odds of finding solutions.