AI can transform lives but also deepen inequalities, cautions Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday cautioned that the world stood “at the cusp of an immense change” driven by artificial intelligence, warning that while the technology could transform lives, it could also create “new power centres” and widen inequalities if not governed responsibly.

Speaking at the inaugural Trust and Safety India (TASI) Festival, 2025, a pre-summit event for next year’s AI Impact Summit, Jaishankar said the choices made today would “determine the fate of the foreseeable future”.

He called for balanced governance and adequate guardrails to ensure AI remains a force for empowerment rather than exploitation.

“AI will transform our economies, change our work habits, create new health solutions and enhance educational access. But it could also give rise to new players and new power centres,” he said, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s belief that technology is a force for good, provided humanity guides it.

He stressed that trust and safety were essential for responsible AI, urging the creation of indigenous frameworks and self-assessment protocols to safeguard India’s “digital nagriks”.

India, he added, bore a “special responsibility” as many nations of the Global South looked to it for inspiration.

Citing India’s digital success through Aadhaar and UPI, Jaishankar said these models of scalable governance could be “extrapolated into the world of AI”. He also warned against the erosion of public trust, saying, “In the era of AI, strengthening trust is of utmost importance.”

Highlighting India’s leadership in the global AI discourse, he recalled New Delhi’s role in promoting ethical AI during its G20 presidency and in co-chairing the Paris AI Action Summit. The forthcoming AI Impact Summit 2026, he said, would take that agenda forward.

“The success of AI governance depends on multi-stakeholdership,” Jaishankar said, adding that the TASI Festival “sends out a strong, inclusive, and pro-people message on this critical issue”.