Modi pitches for global efforts to ensure inclusive, sustainable AI that benefits all

India on Tuesday endorsed the Paris AI summit declaration on “inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi batting for an AI future that is “for good and for all”.

The US and the UK did not sign the statement, in what was seen as the first blow to concerted efforts at developing and regulating the technology.

Need to skill people for AI-driven future

Loss of jobs is AI’s most-feared disruption. History has shown work doesn’t disappear due to tech... We need to invest in skilling our people for an AI-driven future. Narendra Modi, PM

The statement mentioned among priorities “ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all and making AI sustainable for people and the planet”.

India, meanwhile, said it would host the next AI summit later this year, a development France confirmed.

Earlier in his opening address to the Paris AI Action Summit, which he co-chaired with French President Emmanuel Macron, Modi called for collective global efforts to establish governance and standards that upheld humanity’s shared values, addressed risks and built trust. Noting that AI was writing the code for humanity and developing at an unprecedented scale, the PM said, “We must think deeply and discuss openly about innovation and governance. Governance is not just about managing rifts but also about ensuring access to all, especially in the Global South where the capacities are most lacking — be it compute power, talent, data or the financial resources.” In his concluding remarks later, Modi welcomed decisions to set up an AI Foundation and the Council for Sustainable AI and reiterated an enhanced Global South participation in the AI sector.

At the inaugural address, the PM cited the interdependence of borders to seek collective global efforts for AI governance and standards.

Though he emphasised the need to address disinformation and deepfakes around AI, Modi cautioned against overt apprehensions.

“Loss of jobs is AI’s most feared disruption. But history has shown that work does not disappear due to technology. Its nature changes...We need to invest in skilling and re-skilling our people for an AI-driven future,” he said, pitching India as the world’s largest AI talent pool, now also building its own large language model.

He flagged India’s policy of democratisation of resources like compute power for access to researchers and said, “India is ready to share its experience and expertise to ensure that the AI future is for good and for all.”

The US and the UK, who refused to support the Paris Declaration backed by 60 signatories, including India and China, gave no immediate reasons.

Earlier, JD Vance, on his first international trip since the inauguration as US Vice-President, cautioned the EU against adopting an excessive regulatory approach to AI saying “it could kill the transformative industry”.

Vance also warned Europeans against partnering with “authoritarian” dispensations, an allusion to China whose vice-premier Zhang Guoqing was seated in the gathering.

Vance also flagged excessive focus on AI safety, in what was seen as his criticism of the UK’s 2023 AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park. Vance said such assemblies were too “cautious”.

Modi earlier said India had democratised digital data infrastructure and was building AI applications for global good.

The focus of Modi’s address at the summit was on AI’s positive outcomes.

“Some people worry about machines becoming superior in intelligence to humans. But no one holds the key to our collective future and shared destiny other than us humans,” he said, stressing the AI’s transformative potential across health, education and agriculture sectors and its responsible use.