Exclusive: United Nations Leadership to Join India-AI Impact Summit 2026 as Global South Shapes AI Governance Dialogue
As the global conversation on artificial intelligence intensifies within multilateral forums, the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 emerges as a defining moment for the Global South. With the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, Amandeep Gill, and other senior UN leaders set to participate, the Summit signals a significant convergence between national AI ambitions and the UN’s evolving framework on inclusive, responsible, and human-centric governance.
At the Summit, the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) is also hosting three high-level side events from February 18-20. The topics include:
- Role of Science in International AI Governance
- AI and Children’s Safety and Wellbeing
- How AI Will Reshape Global Development Beyond the SDGs
Significance of the Summit
The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 will be the first major global AI summit held in the Global South. This milestone is crucial as AI has become one of the most consequential transformations of recent times, yet the narrative is primarily controlled by a few nations producing highly capable AI models. The Summit is significant because it brings the perspectives and priorities of the Global South to the global stage at a time when AI is rapidly shaping development trajectories worldwide.
While AI adoption is expanding across regions, there remain clear gaps in access, capacity, affordability, and readiness, particularly for developing countries. By hosting the AI Impact Summit, India aims to provide a credible multilateral platform where developing countries can articulate their development needs, practical challenges, and aspirations related to AI. The Summit’s agenda focuses on issues relevant to the Global South, including capacity building, access to AI resources, trust and safety, and inclusive deployment.
Broader Implications for the Global AI Ecosystem
The Summit has many diverse elements. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated, AI should be human-centric, trustworthy, and inclusive, with technology serving humanity and enhancing human well-being. These principles resonate strongly with the work of the United Nations and the Global Digital Compact of the Pact for the Future, which leaders of UN Member States agreed upon in September 2024.
The Summit seeks to underscore that AI governance is not only about managing risks but also about enabling innovation, access, and capacity building, particularly for countries that are still developing their AI ecosystems. By bringing together governments, industry, academia, and international organizations, the Summit focuses on practical collaboration and responsible use, contributing to an AI ecosystem that is innovative, safe, and inclusive.
Importantly, the outcomes of the Summit will help inform discussions, including the first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance that will take place on the margins of the AI for Good Global Summit in July in Geneva. In this sense, the Summit marks an important milestone in the evolving global dialogue on AI, from which the UN ecosystem will also benefit.
United Nations Delegation Participation
The participation of senior United Nations leadership at the Summit reflects the strong alignment between the Summit’s objectives and the UN’s ongoing work on inclusive and responsible AI. In addition to the UN Secretary-General, the Summit will see participation from the top leadership of ITU, UNESCO, IFAD, FAO, UNICEF, WFP, UNDRR, and UN Women, as well as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Technology.
Their engagement highlights the growing relevance of AI across the UN ecosystem for development, inclusion, and human well-being. The implications for sustainable development, gender equality, youth empowerment, population issues, and human-centric governance are significant. It also underscores the recognition that AI can be a powerful enabler and multiplier of development if deployed responsibly and inclusively.
Core Principles: People, Planet, and Progress
The AI Impact Summit 2026 is grounded in the principles of People, Planet, and Progress. These pillars provide a development-oriented framework for global cooperation on AI and are guided by a vision that AI must be human-centric, trustworthy, and inclusive. This vision enhances access to services, protects rights, supports jobs and skills, and builds public trust.
Additionally, sustainability and resilience are important for the planet, promoting energy-efficient AI systems and responsible resource use. Finally, inclusive growth and development are essential, leveraging innovation to accelerate scientific discovery and development outcomes. The Summit’s themes cover safe and trusted AI, sustainable systems, AI for science, AI for social impact, and the impact of AI on jobs and education, reflecting an integrated approach aligned with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Building Momentum Ahead of the Summit
In the lead-up to the Summit, the Permanent Mission of India has hosted several events at the United Nations to raise awareness and support. For example, during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 review in December 2025, a curtain-raiser event titled “From Action to Impact” was conducted in partnership with the Permanent Mission of France.
Additionally, events like “Building Operational Capacities for the Use of AI in Counter Terrorism” emphasized security as a priority in an interconnected world.
The Mission also hosted a briefing titled “Towards a Network for Inclusive AI Capacity Development” to discuss progress on inclusive AI capacity building. Participants exchanged perspectives on capacity gaps and expressed interest in continued engagement and cooperation on AI development.
Democratizing AI for Inclusive Development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized the need to democratize AI, advocating for accessibility to as many people as possible. This vision aligns with the Summit’s goals, focusing on practical mechanisms to expand access to AI capabilities, support skills development, and facilitate collaboration, particularly for developing countries.
In practical terms, this approach involves strengthening capacities where they are most needed, fostering partnerships, and ensuring that AI supports development outcomes in line with national and UN priorities.
