New Delhi. The five-day India AI Impact Summit, organized under the chairmanship of India, concluded with historic success on Friday. In this summit, 88 countries and international organizations have signed the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact, which includes major countries like America, China, France, Australia and Britain. The manifesto presents a shared framework for the future of AI and also highlights India’s growing diplomatic influence on the global stage.
This agreement is considered a major diplomatic victory for India, as during the AI Action Summit held in Paris last year, the US and the UK had refused to sign the declaration citing European regulatory approach. However, India was successful in bringing all these countries on one platform in New Delhi. India’s key objective is to “democratize” AI, so that this technological innovation can be shared equally globally, rather than being confined in the hands of a handful of companies or individuals.
Key points of New Delhi Declaration:
Democratic Diffusion Charter: Under this charter, it is planned to increase everyone’s access to basic resources of AI and encourage local innovations.
Global AI Impact Commons: This will be a practical platform that will help drive adoption and replication of successful uses of AI across sectors.
Trusted AI Commons: A shared repository of technical resources, benchmarks, and best practices will be created to ensure the security and trustworthiness of AI systems.
International Network of AI for Science Institutions: This network will promote the use of AI in scientific research by connecting research institutions around the world.
The manifesto also acknowledges that AI has the potential to uplift all sections of society, and calls for setting up a social empowerment platform for this. Additionally, voluntary guidelines for reskilling and workforce development in view of the changing employment landscape due to AI have also been agreed upon.
Although 88 countries have signed it, the biggest challenge will be to implement these promises, as all these commitments are voluntary. According to sources, the European Union (EU) had initially objected to some passages as they matched the Charter of the United Nations (UN). However, the EU eventually agreed to sign it, considering India an important trading partner.
