India’s opportunity at the AI Action Summit

India has accepted France's invitation to co-chair the AI Action Summit in Paris on February 10-11, 2025. This summit focuses on AI safety, innovation, public interest AI, and governance issues, providing India an opportunity to represent the Global South in these discussions. It also presents a chance to amplify India's role in global AI policy-making, as well as in future AI-related multilateral forums.

India’s Role in Global AI Safety

• Global Engagement on AI Safety: India has actively participated in previous AI summits in the U.K. and South Korea, discussing AI safety, risk management, and the establishment of AI Safety Institutes (AISI) across the globe.
• Championing the Global South: India has consistently represented the Global South in multilateral forums like the G20 and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), advocating for equitable access to AI resources and technology.
• Plans for AI Safety Institute: India plans to establish its own AI Safety Institute to further bolster its engagement and leadership in global AI safety discourse, ensuring a proactive stance in addressing emerging AI risks.

Strategic Priorities for India at the Summit

• Democratising AI Resources: India should advocate for equal access to the AI value chain, including computing hardware, data sets, cloud platforms, and AI safety tools like watermarking technology. It should also push for the promotion of open-source AI models.
• AI Use-Case Prioritisation: India should propose the development of AI solutions tailored to the unique needs of the Global South, such as disease detection systems, personalized education platforms, and region-specific agricultural tools.
• Contextualizing AI Risks: India must emphasize the need for region-specific AI risk assessments and safety measures, particularly focusing on the cultural and social risks posed by AI models trained on Western data.

India’s Vision for AI Governance

• Leveraging Paris Summit: India should use its role in the Paris summit to further the Global South's priorities in AI governance, technology access, and safety frameworks, positioning itself as a leader in inclusive AI policymaking.
• Promoting Collaborative Frameworks: India can help develop a collaborative framework that ensures AI technologies benefit the Global South, contributing to a more equitable distribution of AI innovation and infrastructure.
• Future Summit Hosting: By advancing these priorities, India can secure the opportunity to host the next AI Action Summit, solidifying its role as a key mediator between the AI superpowers of the Global North and the developing world.

Practice Question:

Q. As co-chair of the AI Action Summit 2025, India has the opportunity to shape global AI governance. Discuss how India can leverage this platform to represent the interests of the Global South, particularly in terms of access to AI resources and addressing regional risks.