Delhi AI Summit: Leaders Tackle Risks & Rewards

The AI Impact Summit 2026, a significant global event, began on Monday in New Delhi, with its sights set on establishing a "shared roadmap for global AI governance and collaboration." Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened the five-day summit, which is being held at the Bharat Mandapam and is expected to draw 250,000 visitors, including national leaders and ministerial delegations. The gathering aims to address pressing concerns surrounding artificial intelligence, ranging from its potential for job displacement to ensuring child safety in the digital realm.

This fourth annual summit builds upon previous international discussions held in Paris, Seoul, and Bletchley. While the event's scope has grown, questions remain about the potential for concrete commitments from world leaders, particularly regarding the accountability of major AI companies. Attendees include prominent figures such as Sam Altman of OpenAI and Sundar Pichai of Google, underscoring the event's global significance.

The summit's loose themes, "people, progress, planet," aim to foster a vision where AI benefits the many, not just a select few. Key priorities include AI safety, mitigating misinformation like deepfakes, and addressing digital harms exacerbated by generative AI. Organizers highlight this summit as the first hosted by a developing nation, positioning India to shape the future of AI governance on an international stage.