India emerges as the focal point of global AI diplomacy as 89 nations and two international organizations signed the New Delhi Declaration on Saturday. The declaration frames AI as a growth engine and a shared global responsibility — marking the conclusion of the India AI Impact Summit, according to the Press Information Bureau. Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman are among the signatories of the declaration.

“AI’s promise is best realized only when its benefits are shared by humanity,” the declaration stated, a cornerstone of India’s vision for the global adoption of AI.

It outlined a seven-pillar framework spanning human capital, trust and safety, energy efficiency, AI for science, the democratization of resources, and AI-led economic and social development. Affordability and access — from compute and data to open-source models — were highlighted as critical needs for emerging economies.

Key highlights:

  • That robust digital infrastructure and affordable connectivity are prerequisites for realizing AI’s full potential;
  • The declaration endorsed open-source AI and other accessible approaches to enable broader diffusion for generating economic growth, scalability, and cross-sector adaptability of AI use cases;
  • That secure, trustworthy, and robust AI systems are essential to building public trust and maximizing societal benefits;
  • The need to remove structural barriers to AI research infrastructure and deepen international scientific collaboration;
  • In light of AI’s growing demands on energy, infrastructure, and natural resources, the declaration emphasized the importance of developing energy-efficient AI systems;
  • That unlocking AI’s full value depends on equipping people with relevant skills, highlighting initiatives spanning education and vocational training.

International cooperation: It also advocates global cooperation on AI regulations, including voluntary, non-binding initiatives such as the Democratic Diffusion of AI, Trusted AI Commons, and Global AI Impact Commons.

Why it matters: By focusing on the democratization of compute, New Delhi is offering the Global South a roadmap to build their own tech stacks instead of just consuming US technologies. The summit recorded USD 250 bn in investment pledges for AI infrastructure in India and an additional USD 20 bn for the deep-tech ecosystem. These capital commitments create an investment window for regional energy players and infrastructure funds to participate, laying a foundation for AI development in emerging economies beyond the US and China.

We covered the India AI summit in detail last week, tracking headlines spanning investments, partnerships, and other conversations. You can check our previous coverage here and here.

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