86 Nations, Two International Bodies Back AI Impact Summit Declaration, Says Ashwini Vaishnaw

As many as 86 countries and two international organisations have signed the AI Impact Summit declaration, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. Among the signatories are the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Egypt and Indonesia.

The strong international support came at the end of the India AI Impact Summit, which was held in New Delhi. The summit brought together policymakers, technology experts and industry leaders from around the world to discuss the future of artificial intelligence.

Speaking to reporters, Vaishnaw said that countries across the globe have agreed to and upheld principles focused on the “welfare of all, and happiness of all”. He underlined that the declaration reflects a shared global vision for the responsible and inclusive development of AI.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minister said, ”Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s human-centric AI vision been accepted by the world. Democratising Artificial Intelligence resources so AI facilities, services and technology can reach everyone in society has been accepted by all,” the minister said.

He explained that this approach ensures that AI is not limited to a few large companies or nations but becomes accessible to people from all sections of society. According to him, the declaration shows that the world supports India’s idea of making AI people-focused and inclusive.

Vaishnaw also highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance between economic growth and social welfare. ”Not just economic growth, even social harmony has to be kept in mind. Safety and trust are at the centre, they have been brought among the main points,” Vaishnaw said, adding that a secure, trustworthy and robust AI framework has been focused on.

He stressed that AI development should not only boost economies but also protect societies. Issues like safety, trust and accountability have been placed at the core of the global framework agreed upon at the summit.

The minister said innovation and the development of human capital are also major focus areas. Countries have agreed to work together to build skills, encourage research and support new ideas in artificial intelligence. ”For all these areas, all countries have agreed to work together. Almost all countries that participated, including the US, the UK, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, and Germany… everyone has participated,” the minister said.

The summit also attracted major financial commitments. Investment pledges crossed 250 billion US dollars for infrastructure-related capital. In addition, around 20 billion US dollars have been committed towards venture capital and deep-tech investments. On Friday, Vaishnaw had described the event as a ”grand success”.

He said participation at the summit crossed five lakh visitors, showing strong domestic and international interest in India’s AI mission. ”More than five lakh visitors participated in the exhibition, learnt a lot, and interacted with many experts from around the world. We had practically every major AI player in the world participating in large numbers. We had so many startups getting the opportunity to showcase their work. Overall, the quality of the discussion was phenomenal,” he had said.

The minister added that whether it was the ministerial dialogue, the leaders’ plenary, the main inauguration function, or the overall summit, the level of discussion and participation remained very high. He said the event clearly reflected global confidence in India’s growing role in shaping the AI era.

The summit also saw the presence of several top global technology leaders. These included Google CEO SundarPichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.

Discussions at the summit covered some of the most debated topics in the technology world today. These included the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence, the idea of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), governance models, ethical use of AI, and the future of jobs in an AI-driven world.

Overall, the India AI Impact Summit positioned India as a major player in global AI governance and infrastructure development. With broad international backing, large investment commitments and strong participation from global technology leaders, the event highlighted India’s ambition to lead in shaping a responsible and inclusive AI future.