Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in bilateral talks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New Delhi on 20 February 2026. The meeting occurred amid Guterres's visit to India for the AI Impact Summit 2026.

Guterres arrived specifically to participate in this landmark event, the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South. The summit underscores India's vision of "Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya" – welfare and happiness for all – while aligning with the broader principle of AI for humanity.

Earlier that day, Guterres addressed the summit, advocating for the use of artificial intelligence to serve the global good. He emphasised mitigating humanity's challenges through international cooperation, urging nations to prepare, protect, and invest in their people despite strained trust and rising technological rivalries.

Speaking on the role of science in international AI governance, Guterres warned that AI innovation advances at "the speed of light," outpacing collective understanding. He stressed that policies must rely on trusted facts, not guesswork, hype, or disinformation, calling for less noise and more shared knowledge across borders and sectors.

The UN Secretary-General highlighted recent United Nations initiatives on AI, particularly the newly formed Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence. This panel aims to bridge the AI knowledge gap by assessing real impacts on economies and societies.

Designed to be fully independent, globally diverse, and multidisciplinary, the panel covers AI's influence on every societal area. Guterres noted delight at the UN General Assembly's confirmation of the 40 experts he proposed to member states.

The panel's work is on a fast track, with a first report due ahead of the global dialogue on AI governance in July. It will provide a shared baseline of evidence-based analysis, shifting discussions from philosophy to technical coordination.

Guterres described science-led governance as an accelerator for safer, fairer, and more inclusive solutions. The India AI Impact Summit gathered policymakers, industry experts, academics, innovators, and civil society from around the world to advance these global conversations.

Guided by three foundational pillars – People, Planet, and Progress – the summit promotes human-centric AI that protects rights and ensures equitable benefits. It also champions environmentally sustainable AI development and inclusive economic-technological advancement, with relevance for emerging economies and the Global South.

The event drew participation from over 110 countries and 30 international organisations, including around 20 heads of state or government and 45 ministers. It marks the fourth in a series of AI summits, building on prior gatherings.

The process originated with the AI Safety Summit at the UK's Bletchley Park in 2023. There, 28 countries and the EU signed the Bletchley Declaration, forging consensus on managing frontier AI risks and the need for cooperation on safety, leading to AI Safety Institutes in several nations.

This continued at the AI Seoul Summit in 2024, co-hosted by the UK and South Korea. The Seoul Declaration for Safe, Innovative, and Inclusive AI, endorsed by 10 countries and the EU, reinforced commitments to safety and responsible innovation.

The AI Action Summit in Paris in 2025, co-chaired by France and India, expanded the focus to public interest, sustainability, democratic governance, and inclusive innovation. India played a pivotal role, advocating for equitable AI access and development-focused applications.

At Paris, 63 countries and the EU signed the Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and the Planet. This outlined principles for accessible, transparent, ethical, safe, and trustworthy AI, tackling the digital divide.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 thus advances a development-oriented global AI agenda, positioning India as a key voice for the Global South in shaping equitable and sustainable AI governance.

ANI