AI writing code for the century, says PM Modi
Modi at the AI Summit stressed global cooperation for AI governance, ensuring access for all, promoting innovation, and addressing risks, especially for the Global South.
Collective global efforts alone can create governance and standards for artificial intelligence (AI) that address risks and build trust while simultaneously promoting innovation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday while co-chairing the AI Action Summit in Paris.
Addressing a gathering that included French President Emmanuel Macron, the co-chair of the summit, US vice president JD Vance, and Chinese vice-premier Zhang Guoqing, Modi emphasised that AI’s governance structure must ensure access for all, especially the Global South.
“AI is already reshaping our polity, our economy, our security and even our society. AI is writing the code for humanity in this century. But, it is very different from other technology milestones in human history,” he said.
The summit has attracted world leaders, tech executives and policymakers amid differences over regulating a technology that is impacting security, economics and governance. India and France have an approach to AI that is mid-way between the Chinese model of complete control through state-backed tech giants, and the US’s opposition to “excessive regulation”, as highlighted by Vance. The differences were evident with the US and the UK not signing on for the summit declaration.
Modi said the governance of AI should manage risks and rivalries, promote innovation and ensure its use for global good since it can transform millions of lives by improving health, education and agriculture and ensuring the faster implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Modi’s contention that humans will continue to hold the key despite the development of technologies such as AI was backed by Vance, who said the technology will make people more productive but won’t replace human beings.
“We are at the dawn of the AI age that will shape the course of humanity. 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,” Modi said.
Speaking after Modi, Vance said he appreciated the prime minister’s point and many leaders of the AI industry “miss the point” while talking about AI replacing workers. “AI, I really believe, will facilitate and make people more productive. It is not going to replace human beings, it will never replace human beings,” he said.
The summit comes at a potential inflection point in AI development and governance -- when newer and cheaper models such as DeepSeek released by China are challenging the US headstart in the field and triggering a churn in global markets.
In his address, Modi pointed to the unprecedented scale and speed at which AI is being developed, adopted and deployed. “There is also a deep inter-dependence across borders. Therefore, there is a need for collective global efforts to establish governance and standards that uphold our shared values, address risks and build trust.”
”Governance is also about ensuring access to all, especially in the Global South. It is where the capacities are most lacking – be it compute power, talent, data or the financial resources,” he added.
Pushing for open-source systems that enhance trust and transparency, Modi sought a differentiated approach to AI, saying it is reshaping polity, economy, security and society.
Such an approach should include pooling of resources and talent, developing open-source systems that enhance trust and transparency, and building quality data sets, free from biases, he said.
“We must democratise technology and create people-centric applications. We must address concerns related to cyber security, disinformation and deep fakes. And we must also ensure that technology is rooted in local ecosystems for it to be effective and useful,” Modi said.
”Loss of jobs is AI’s most feared disruption. But history has shown that work does not disappear due to technology. Its nature changes and new types of jobs are created. We need to invest in skilling and re-skilling our people for an AI-driven future,” he added.
In the context of AI’s high energy needs, Modi pitched “green power to fuel its future” and said India and France worked together through initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance to harness the sun’s power. “At the same time, sustainable AI does not only mean using clean energy. AI models must also be efficient and sustainable in size, data needs and resource requirements,” he said.
Modi also highlighted India’s achievements in digitalisation and digital public infrastructure at a very low cost, saying these are built around an open and accessible network, and have helped modernise the economy, reform governance and transform the lives of people.
India, he said, unlocked the power of data through its empowerment and protection architecture, and by making digital commerce accessible to all. India also built consensus on harnessing AI responsibly and for all during its G20 presidency.
“We are developing AI applications for public good. We have one of the world’s largest AI talent pools. India is building its own large language model (LLM) considering our diversity. We also have a unique public-private partnership model for pooling resources like compute power,” Modi said, while offering to share the country’s experience and expertise to ensure the “AI future is for good and for all”.
Modi welcomed the setting up of the AI Foundation and the Council for Sustainable AI and announced India will host the next AI Summit.
Vance, on his first foreign trip as vice president, warned “excessive regulation” of AI could kill a transformative industry and the Trump administration will encourage pro-growth AI policies. He also criticised the European Union’s (EU) regulation of AI, saying that kind regulatory regimes should foster creation of AI technology rather than strangling it, and that Europe should “look to this new frontier with optimism, rather than trepidation”.
The Trump administration will also “ensure that AI systems developed in America are free from ideological bias” and won’t be co-opted as a tool for authoritarian censorship. A new industrial revolution based on AI “will never come to pass if overregulation deters innovators from taking the risks necessary to advance the ball”, Vance said.
Macron, in his closing speech, pointed to the need for a framework to build trust and “get out of the risk-opportunity dilemma” without excessive regulation. He warned that “if we break the trust, AI will divide the world”, and emphasised the need for fair and open access, focus on quality data and trusted third parties.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will invest an additional 50 billion euros ($51.6 billion) to bolster its artificial intelligence ambition. This will be in addition to the European AI Champions Initiative that has pledged 150 billion euros from providers, investors and industry. “Thereby we aim to mobilise a total of 200 billion euros for AI investments in Europe,” she said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged member states to back the creation of an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI to promote a common understanding of AI risks, benefits and capabilities. Guterres also backed Tuesday’s launch of Current AI, a global public-private partnership to support large-scale AI initiatives for the public good, and said he would present a report on innovative voluntary financing models to help all countries harness AI.
