NEW DELHI: In a landmark moment for global technology governance, 88 countries and international organizations adopted the New Delhi Declaration at the conclusion of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 21.
This voluntary framework champions the democratization of artificial intelligence, emphasizing equitable access, responsible innovation, and international collaboration while respecting national sovereignty. Amid geopolitical tensions, the inclusion of major powers like the United States and China underscores a rare consensus on AI’s future, positioning India as a pivotal bridge between developed and developing nations.
What is the New Delhi Declaration?
The New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact serves as a non-binding blueprint for advancing AI in a way that benefits all of humanity. Inspired by ancient Indian principles such as “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family) and “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya” (for the welfare and happiness of all), it calls for enhancing the affordability and accessibility of AI resources to empower countries worldwide in developing, adopting, and deploying the technology.
As the declaration states: “Inspired by the principle of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family), we recognise the importance of enhancing the affordability of and access to AI resources that would be critical to enabling all countries to develop, adopt and deploy AI for the benefit of their citizens.” It acknowledges the summit’s role in “strengthening international cooperation and multistakeholder approach to advance shared priorities as well as voluntary and non-binding guidelines and principles, which can promote AI for ensuring a prosperous future for humanity.”
Unlike previous AI summits, such as the one in Paris where the US and UK opted out due to regulatory disagreements, this declaration focuses on voluntary measures to avoid overreach. It highlights AI’s potential as an “inflection point in the trajectory of technological evolution,” stressing that its promise “is best realised only when its benefits are shared by humanity.” The framework addresses risks like misinformation and job displacement while promoting secure, trustworthy, and robust AI systems.
The Seven Pillars: Core Commitments of the Declaration
At its heart, the declaration is structured around seven foundational pillars: democratizing access to AI resources; driving economic growth and social good; ensuring secure and trusted AI; advancing AI for scientific discovery; expanding access for social empowerment; developing human capital; and building resilient, efficient, and innovative AI systems. These pillars guide voluntary initiatives aimed at fostering collaboration without imposing mandatory regulations.
Key commitments include the Charter for the Democratic Diffusion of AI, which promotes wide-scale adoption and open-source approaches, stating: “Wide-scale adoption of AI and AI-based applications hold unprecedented potential to drive economic and social development. Open-source AI applications and other accessible AI approaches, where appropriate, and wide-scale diffusion of AI use cases can contribute to scalability, replicability, and adaptability of AI systems across sectors.”
Other platforms encompass the Global AI Impact Commons for scaling use cases, the Trusted AI Commons for sharing best practices, the International Network of AI for Science Institutions to boost research, and guiding principles for reskilling workers and energy-efficient AI. The declaration underscores: “Advancing secure, trustworthy and robust AI is foundational to building trust and maximising societal and economic benefits.”
These elements address practical challenges, such as infrastructure needs for robust digital networks and the importance of reskilling to prepare for an AI-driven economy. While non-binding, they represent a step toward global standards, with experts like AI safety campaigner Stuart Russell noting that such commitments are “not completely inconsequential” and could pave the way for binding legal frameworks in the future.
Signatories and Its Global Significance
The declaration garnered endorsements from 88 entities, including geopolitical rivals like the US, China, and Russia, alongside France, the UK, Australia, and the European Union. This broad participation, delayed by a day to maximize signatories, highlights a diplomatic win for India, especially given past divisions at summits in France, South Korea, and Britain.
India’s IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw remarked: “There is huge consensus on the declaration. We are just trying to maximise the number.” The US, which previously rejected global AI governance, signed a separate bilateral declaration with India to “pursue a global approach to AI that is unapologetically friendly to entrepreneurship and innovation,” as stated by US White House technology adviser Michael Kratsios, who added: “We totally reject global governance of AI.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking at the summit, warned: “We are barrelling into the unknown. The message is simple: less hype, less fear. More facts and evidence.” The declaration’s significance lies in its push for equitable AI distribution, countering concentration in a few hands, as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman cautioned: “Centralisation of this technology, in one company or country, could lead to ruin. This is not to suggest that we won’t need any regulation or safeguards. We obviously do, urgently, like we have for other powerful technologies.”
India’s Vision: AI for All and Inclusive Growth
India’s leadership in the declaration reflects its “AI for All” ethos, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s human-centric approach. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw praised the alignment, saying: “the world has aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of human-centric AI,” and emphasized that “democratising access to AI resources and ensuring safety and trust were central to the discussions.” The vision aims to leverage AI for economic productivity, governance, and social empowerment, while positioning India to catch up with AI leaders through over $200 billion in investments in AI infrastructure including massive data centers and energy projects.
India AI Impact Summit 2026
The India AI Impact Summit, hosted by the IndiaAI Mission, a government initiative backed by over $1 billion ran for five days in New Delhi, drawing tens of thousands, including leaders like Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, and tech executives such as Google’s Sundar Pichai. As the fourth global AI summit and the first in a developing nation, it explored AI’s societal impacts, from multilingual translation to energy demands. Despite organizational hiccups, like chaotic access and a shirtless protest by opposition youth, it facilitated key discussions and announcements. The next summit is set for Geneva in 2027.
A notable moment was an awkward onstage hand-holding gesture led by PM Modi, where OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei hesitated, later explained by Altman as confusion. The summit also saw the launch of a UN Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, modeled after the IPCC, to promote “science-led governance.”
Other Key Developments: Pax Silica and Beyond
On the summit’s final day, India signed the Pax Silica Declaration, joining a US-led coalition to secure the “silicon stack” from critical minerals to AI deployment aiming to prevent economic coercion. US Under Secretary Jacob Helberg declared: “Today, as we sign the Pax Silica declaration, we say no to weaponized dependency, and we say no to blackmail.
Together, we affirm that economic security is national security.” US Ambassador Sergio Gor called India’s entry “strategic and essential,” noting: “Pax Silica is the coalition that will define the 21st century economic and technological order.” Minister Vaishnaw added: “We are not just holding a summit; we are building the future.” This complements the New Delhi Declaration by focusing on resilient supply chains.
While the declaration’s voluntary nature poses implementation challenges, it sets a foundation for equitable AI progress. For India, it accelerates ambitions in AI infrastructure and workforce development, potentially creating a million skilled jobs in semiconductors alone.
Globally, it signals a shift toward collaborative governance, with the UN panel poised to provide evidence-based guidance amid rapid AI evolution. As the world navigates this “unknown,” the New Delhi Declaration offers a hopeful path toward inclusive technological advancement.
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