Dozens of world leaders and ministers are expected to set out a shared position on how to manage artificial intelligence on Friday, bringing to a close a five-day summit dedicated to the rapidly advancing technology.
The move follows remarks on Thursday by OpenAI chief Sam Altman, who told the gathering in New Delhi that the fast-evolving sector requires regulation “urgently”.
Surging demand for generative AI has sharply boosted corporate profits, while intensifying concerns about its broader impact on society and the environment.
Altman, the chief executive behind ChatGPT, has previously called for oversight. However, last year he cautioned that an overly restrictive approach could hinder the United States in the global AI race.
“Centralisation of this technology, in one company or country, could lead to ruin,” the 40-year-old said on Thursday.
“This is not to suggest that we won’t need regulation or safeguards. We clearly do — urgently — as we have for other powerful technologies.”
India’s AI Impact Summit—the fourth annual forum examining the risks and opportunities presented by rapid advances in computing power—is the largest yet and the first to be hosted by a developing nation. India has used the platform to press its ambition to narrow the gap with the United States and China.
New Delhi expects more than $200 billion (£—) in investment over the next two years, while major US technology companies have announced fresh deals and infrastructure projects during the week.
Common good
Many observers argue that firmer measures are required to address emerging challenges, including job displacement, online abuse and the substantial electricity consumption of data centres.
However, the broad scope of the New Delhi summit — and the non-binding pledges made at previous gatherings in France, South Korea and the United Kingdom — may limit the likelihood of concrete commitments.
“Governance of powerful technologies typically begins with shared language: identifying which risks matter and which thresholds are unacceptable,” said Niki Iliadis, director of global AI governance at The Future Society.
“It is true that AI companies wield influence, but they are not sovereign,” she told AFP.
The Delhi summit, attended by tens of thousands of participants from across the AI industry—including leading technology executives—has addressed topics ranging from child protection to employment disruption and the need for more equitable global access to AI tools.
“We are entering an era in which humans and intelligent systems will co-create, co-work and co-evolve,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.
“We must ensure that AI is used for the global common good.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on technology leaders to back a $3 billion global fund aimed at strengthening AI skills and making computing power more accessible.
“The future of AI cannot be determined by a handful of countries—nor left to the whims of a few billionaires,” he said.
