New Delhi: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Guterres arrived in India to attend the AI Impact Summit 2026. Earlier in the day, Guterres called for the use of artificial intelligence for the good of the world and to mitigate the challenges facing humanity.
“We are moving into the unknown.”
He urged countries to come together and prepare, protect, and invest in people. He said that international cooperation is difficult today… trust has diminished, and competition between technologies is increasing. He made this statement while speaking on the role of science in international AI governance at the Global AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.
Antonio Guterres said, “We are moving into the unknown.” AI innovation is moving at the speed of light, outpacing our collective ability to fully understand it. If we want AI to serve humanity, policy cannot be made without thought. It cannot be based on hype or misinformation. We need facts we can trust and share across countries and sectors with less noise and more information.
Guterres Referred to the Recently Formed AI Panel
Guterres emphasized the steps taken by the United Nations on AI. UN Secretary-General Guterres further stated that the United Nations is working on a practical architecture that places science at the center of international cooperation on AI, starting with the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.
He stated that this panel was created to help bridge the AI knowledge gap and assess the true impact of AI on the economy and society so that countries at every level of AI capability can operate with the same clarity. Guterres said it is fully independent and globally diverse, and it is multidisciplinary because AI touches every sector of every society.
Guterres said he was pleased that the UN General Assembly confirmed the 40 experts he proposed to Member States. Now the real work begins on a fast track to deliver the first report before the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in July. He described science-based governance as a way to accelerate progress towards solutions that are safe, transparent, and more shared.
The India AI Impact Summit brought together government policymakers, industry AI experts, academics, technology innovators, and civil society from around the world in New Delhi to advance the global discussion on artificial intelligence. The India AI Impact Summit, the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South, showcases the transformative potential of AI, aligned with the national vision of “Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya” (Good for All, Happiness for All) and the global principle of AI for Humanity. The summit is part of a developing international process aimed at strengthening global cooperation on the governance, safety, and social impact of AI.
Summit Attendance by Highlights
The summit was attended by representatives from over 110 countries, 30 international organizations, nearly 20 heads of state and government, including approximately 45 ministers. The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is guided by three fundamental pillars: People, Planet, and Progress. These principles articulate the core principles for global cooperation on artificial intelligence. Their aim is to promote human-centered AI that protects rights and ensures equitable benefits across societies, environmentally sustainable advancement of AI, and inclusive economic and technological progress.
AI Summit
This summit is the fourth in a series of AI summits to be held in the UK at Bletchley Park in 2023, South Korea in 2024, and France in 2025. This process began with the AI Safety Summit hosted by the United Kingdom at Bletchley Park in 2023. A key outcome of this summit was the establishment of AI Safety Institutes in several countries to promote technical research, information sharing, and risk assessment.
This process continued with the AI Seoul Summit co-hosted by the UK and South Korea in 2024. The Seoul Declaration for Safe, Innovative, and Inclusive AI was approved by 10 countries and the EU, further strengthening global commitments to AI safety and responsible innovation.
France and India co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris in 2025, marking a significant shift in the summit process. While security remained a key concern, the summit broadened its focus to include public interest considerations, affordability, democratic governance of AI, and inclusive innovation. India played a key role as co-chair partner of the France Summit, helping to shape the discussion towards equitable access to AI technology and development-oriented applications.
At the France Summit, 63 countries and the EU signed the Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and Planet. This declaration outlines shared principles to ensure AI is accessible, transparent, ethical, safe, and trustworthy, while also bridging the digital divide and promoting inclusive innovation. The India AI Impact Summit 2026 aims to advance a development-driven global AI agenda that supports emerging economies and the Global South.
