NEW DELHI, India, Feb. 19 (ANI) — Rishi Sunak said Thursday that India is the ideal venue to shape the future of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the country’s strong digital infrastructure, innovation ecosystem, and public optimism toward emerging technologies.
Delivering a keynote address at the AI Impact Summit, Sunak said the global gathering provides a crucial forum for international collaboration on artificial intelligence under the leadership of Narendra Modi.
“We do need a regular forum where we can all meet and discuss this technology, and that is what this summit provides under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership,” Sunak said. “This summit will deliver impact; it will show us how we can make AI work not just for the developed world but for the developing world too. There is no better place to discuss this AI transformation than India.”
Sunak said the summit highlights how artificial intelligence can improve healthcare, education, and public services worldwide while enhancing human dignity.
Recalling his launch of the first global AI Leaders’ Summit in 2023 at Bletchley Park, Sunak said the initiative aimed to bring together world leaders, technology executives, and researchers to ensure AI develops in ways that benefit humanity.
“We committed ourselves to an AI future that worked for humanity,” he said, adding that safety has remained a core priority, with frontier AI labs working alongside the United Kingdom’s AI Security Institute to test models before deployment.
Sunak emphasized that public trust will ultimately determine AI’s success, particularly in the public sector, where citizens can experience tangible improvements through faster government services and enhanced healthcare delivery.
“The debate about AI becomes real rather than abstract when people see tangible improvements in their lives,” he said.
Highlighting the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, Sunak noted that while the telephone took 75 years to reach 100 million users and the internet took seven years, ChatGPT reached that milestone in just two months.
Sunak praised India’s digital public infrastructure, including Aadhaar, UPI, and Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts, describing them as foundational systems capable of delivering AI-powered services to over a billion people.
“The India Stack has shown people how technology can benefit them in their everyday lives,” he said, adding that India is among the world’s leading contributors to artificial intelligence projects.
He also highlighted India’s thriving startup ecosystem, noting the emergence of companies such as Sarvam AI and the country’s growing number of unicorns.
Sunak pointed to India’s tradition of frugal innovation as a key strength, enabling ambitious technological achievements at lower costs. He added that public confidence remains essential for AI adoption and noted that optimism about AI in India remains significantly higher than in many Western nations.
Citing a recent ranking by Stanford University, Sunak said India has surpassed the United Kingdom among the world’s leading AI powers, underscoring the country’s rising global influence in artificial intelligence.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 has brought together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and civil society representatives from more than 110 countries and 30 international organizations to advance discussions on artificial intelligence governance, safety, and global cooperation.
The summit, guided by three foundational pillars — People, Planet, and Progress — aims to promote human-centric, sustainable, and inclusive AI development aligned with global principles of technology for humanity. (ANI)
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