Context

• The upcoming AI Action Summit, co-chaired by India and France in Paris on February 10-11, 2025, marks a significant milestone in global AI governance.
• This summit follows earlier AI safety discussions in the United Kingdom (2023) and South Korea (2024), expanding the discourse beyond risk management to include innovation, AI governance, and the future of work.
• For India, this event presents a crucial opportunity to further the interests of the Global South in the evolving AI landscape while positioning itself as a leader in international AI policy discussions.

India’s Growing Influence in AI Governance

• India has been an active participant in global AI discussions.
• The country played a key role in the Bletchley Park meeting, which focused on frontier AI models and safety concerns, and in the Seoul summit, which emphasised multilateral collaboration on AI risk management.
• India’s establishment of its own AI Safety Institute aligns with these global efforts, demonstrating its commitment to AI safety and governance.
• Beyond safety, India has been a strong advocate for the Global South, emphasising equitable access to AI infrastructure.
• Under its presidency of the G20 in 2023, India promoted a ‘pro-innovation regulatory/governance approach’ that sought to balance innovation with necessary safeguards.
• Similarly, at the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) meeting in December 2023, India highlighted the importance of equitable access to AI research and innovation resources.
• These initiatives underscore India’s ambition to shape the global AI discourse, ensuring that developing nations are not left behind.

Key Strategic Priorities for India at the Paris Summit

• Democratising Access to AI Resources
  • One of the primary challenges faced by the Global South is the lack of access to critical AI resources.
  • While India has made strides in this area by launching a national AI computing facility with over 18,600 GPUs and government subsidies, a broader effort is needed.
  • India should advocate for an inclusive AI ecosystem that ensures access to:
    • Computing infrastructure, including cloud computing and distributed computing solutions.
    • Data resources, such as high-quality datasets and data storage facilities.
    • Foundation models and application development platforms, which are often controlled by AI superpowers.
    • Innovative AI safety tools, such as watermarking technology for content authentication.
  • India should also emphasise the importance of open-source AI models, citing the success of initiatives like DeepSeek.
  • Furthermore, it should push for flexible cross-border AI technology transfers while maintaining appropriate safety regulations.
• Prioritising AI Use-Cases for the Global South
  • AI applications should address the unique challenges of the Global South rather than being imposed as generic solutions.
  • India must advocate for the development of a structured framework that identifies and prioritises AI use cases relevant to developing nations. Some key areas include:
    • Healthcare: AI-driven early disease detection systems tailored to local healthcare infrastructure.
    • Education: Personalised learning platforms adapted to diverse educational contexts.
    • Agriculture: AI tools designed to enhance regional farming practices and productivity.
  • To facilitate this, India should propose the creation of an AI use-case repository, which would help guide Global South nations in leveraging AI effectively.
• Contextualising AI Risks and Safety Measures
  • AI risks vary significantly between developed and developing nations.
  • Many risk assessments and safety measures focus on the concerns of the Global North, overlooking challenges faced by the Global South.
  • India should highlight unique risks, such as cultural erosion caused by AI models predominantly trained on Western datasets.
  • Additionally, India should advocate for a data-driven approach to AI risk mitigation, including:
    • Collecting evidence of AI-related harms specific to the Global South.
    • Developing regulatory frameworks based on real-world AI impact assessments.
    • Creating a repository of AI-related harms to inform future policymaking.
  • By doing so, India can help ensure that AI governance frameworks are inclusive and responsive to diverse global challenges.

India’s Potential Role as a Future AI Summit Host

• As a co-chair of the Paris Summit, India has a strategic opportunity to solidify its leadership in AI governance.
• By championing the Global South’s interests, India can position itself as a frontrunner to host the next AI Action Summit.
• This would allow it to further influence global AI policymaking, bridging the gap between AI superpowers and developing nations.

Conclusion

• India’s participation in the Paris AI Action Summit is a pivotal moment for both the nation and the Global South.
• By advocating for democratised AI access, region-specific AI applications, and contextualised AI risk assessments, India can ensure that AI benefits are shared equitably across the world.
• Furthermore, securing a leadership role in future AI summits would reinforce India’s position as a key player in global AI governance.
• As artificial intelligence continues to shape the future, India’s proactive engagement in these discussions will be crucial in driving an inclusive and responsible AI ecosystem.