New Delhi is hosting the fourth global AI summit from to , drawing participation from over 100 countries and nearly 35 heads of state or government, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who co-presided over the Paris summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.
This year’s summit in India is focused on the impact of artificial intelligence, officially titled “India AI Impact Summit 2026.” The choice of theme is deliberate, with the Indian presidency prioritizing the needs of AI users – both individuals and nations – over those of AI producers, a shift from previous gatherings. India, positioning itself as a voice for the “Global South,” aims to leverage the summit, as it did during its 2023 G20 presidency, to assert its role and gain influence among international actors, including the West, China, and its partners and rivals within the Global South.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South, building on initiatives like the UK AI Safety Summit and the AI Seoul Summit. The event recognizes AI not merely as a technological advancement, but as a strategic tool for inclusive growth and expanding opportunities for populations historically excluded from access. This perspective acknowledges the potential of AI’s multi-modal and multi-lingual capabilities to deliver benefits at scale, particularly in developing countries.
However, the summit takes place against a backdrop of a widening “Global AI Divide,” with AI resources and capabilities concentrated in a limited number of nations and corporations. This concentration threatens to limit the development of AI solutions tailored to specific social, cultural, and linguistic contexts, hindering progress towards global development goals, especially in the Global South. The summit’s focus on impact, rather than solely on safety or action, reflects a growing recognition of this disparity.
Previous iterations of the summit – the first in the UK, the second virtual and hosted by South Korea, and the most recent co-hosted by France and India – have been characterized by a complex interplay between the aspirations of host countries and the interests of the AI industry. These summits, typically invite-only events with a mix of curated discussions and private roundtables, have become key venues for debate over who gets a voice in shaping the future of AI governance. While tech company CEOs regularly participate, making the summits high-profile media events, other global governance forums often receive less attention from industry leaders.
The summits have yielded consensus statements from governments regarding the risks posed by advanced AI, such as the Bletchley Declaration, and commitments from the tech industry, like the Frontier AI Safety Commitments at Seoul. However, concerns remain that these voluntary regimes create the illusion of progress without addressing the urgent social and economic risks of AI as it exists today – risks related to labor, competition, and online safety. Critics argue that the focus on future-looking risks from the most advanced AI systems overshadows the more immediate challenges posed by the widespread deployment of AI technologies.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 arrives as India steps onto the global AI stage at a pivotal moment. The country is making its strongest push yet to establish itself as a significant player in the development and deployment of AI technologies. The summit’s emphasis on impact signals a desire to move beyond abstract discussions of AI safety and towards concrete actions that address the real-world consequences of AI for individuals and communities. This approach aligns with India’s broader ambition to leverage AI for inclusive growth and to position itself as a leader in the Global South.
The summit is also occurring amidst growing concerns about rising authoritarianism and its potential to undermine the foundations of global cooperation. The AI Now Institute notes that the event is a bellwether for global discourse around the AI industry and its governance, a discourse often dominated by the interests of powerful corporations and governments. The challenge for India, as the first Global South country to host the AI Summit, will be to ensure that the voices of marginalized communities and developing nations are heard and that the summit’s outcomes contribute to a more equitable and inclusive AI future.
The summit’s organizers have structured the event around seven “chakras” – thematic areas designed to foster a holistic discussion of AI’s impact. These areas are intended to address the multifaceted challenges and opportunities presented by AI, ranging from ethical considerations to economic implications and societal transformations. Details of these chakras were announced just days before the summit’s opening, signaling a late-stage refinement of the agenda and a commitment to responsiveness to emerging concerns.
