Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence that the summit will play a crucial role in building a human‑centric and sensitive global AI ecosystem.
19 FEB 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his remarks at the Leaders’ Plenary Session during the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today.
Welcoming the participants once again to the AI Impact Summit in India, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the summit will play a crucial role in building a human‑centric and sensitive global AI ecosystem.
He remarked that history shows humanity has always turned disruptions into opportunities, and today presents another such moment to transform disruption into humanity’s greatest opportunity.
PM Modi recalled Lord Buddha’s teaching that “Right Action comes from Right Understanding,” stressing the importance of creating a roadmap that ensures AI’s positive impact through timely, well-intentioned, and correct decisions.
Prime Minister remarked that during the COVID global pandemic, the world witnessed that when nations stand together, even the impossible becomes possible.
He highlighted that cooperation provided solutions—from vaccine development to supply chains, from data sharing to saving lives further adding that India saw how technology can serve humanity, citing the digital vaccination platform that helped vaccinate millions on time.
Prime minister Modi emphasized that UPI ensured seamless online transactions even in difficult circumstances and played a major role in bridging the digital divide.
He stated that in recent years India has built a vibrant digital public infrastructure and is sharing it with the world, because for India technology is not a medium of power but of service, not to dominate but to empower. He underlined that AI too must follow this direction to ensure the welfare of humanity.
He stressed that as the future of AI is discussed, the aspirations and priorities of the Global South must be placed at the center of AI governance.
Shri Modi highlighted that ethics have always been central to human progress, but with AI the scope of unethical behavior is unlimited. He emphasized that ethical norms for AI must also be unlimited. He stated that AI companies carry a major responsibility to focus not only on profit but also on purpose, and underscored the need for strong ethical commitments. He added that at a personal level, AI is already influencing human learning, intelligence, and emotions.
For ethical AI use, the Prime Minister offered three suggestions:
AI training must respect data sovereignty and be based on a trusted global data framework. He highlighted the principle of “garbage in, garbage out,” stressing that if data is not secure, balanced, and reliable, the output cannot be trustworthy.
AI platforms must keep their safety rules clear and transparent. He called for a “glass box” approach instead of a “black box,” where safety rules are visible and verifiable. He noted that this would ensure accountability and strengthen ethical behavior in business.
AI must be guided by clear human values. He cited the “paper clip problem” as an example, where a machine given a single goal could exhaust all global resources to achieve it. He underlined that while technology is powerful, direction must always be determined by humans.
Prime Minister remarked that Aspirational India has a major role in the global journey of Artificial Intelligence and, recognizing this responsibility, India is taking significant steps. He highlighted that under India’s AI Mission, 38,000 GPUs are already available and 24,000 more will be added in the next six months. Shri Modi stated that India is providing its startups with world‑class computing power at highly affordable rates. He noted that India has also created AIKosh (National Dataset Platform), through which more than 7,500 datasets and 270 AI models have been shared as national resources.
The Prime Minister emphasized that India’s direction and vision for AI are clear—AI is a shared resource for the welfare of humanity. He underlined the need to build an AI future that advances innovation, strengthens inclusion, and integrates human values. Shri Modi concluded that when technology and human trust move together, the true impact of AI will be visible across the world.
