AI Summit Draws Global Tech Leaders as India Pushes for Equitable Access

Thousands of attendees flooded into Bharat Mandapam as the world’s largest artificial intelligence summit kicked off Monday, drawing unprecedented interest from the global technology community. Long queues formed well before the 9:30 AM opening, with tech executives, industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and AI specialists eagerly awaiting entry to the AI Impact Summit.

The summit’s prominence was visible throughout the city, with massive billboards welcoming delegates and participants to what has quickly become one of the technology sector’s most significant gatherings. Despite the absence of several headline speakers on the opening day, attendance remained robust, highlighting the growing global focus on artificial intelligence’s future.

India is using the high-profile summit to advocate for more democratic access to artificial intelligence technologies and to build consensus around the concept of “global AI commons” – shared AI resources and standards that would benefit nations regardless of their technological development stage.

Some of technology’s most influential voices are scheduled to address the conference starting Wednesday. The lineup includes Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei – three figures at the forefront of generative AI technology development. Their anticipated speeches have generated significant buzz among attendees, many of whom traveled internationally specifically to hear these technology leaders articulate their visions for AI’s future.

The summit reaches its pinnacle during the final two days – February 19 and 20 – when more than 20 heads of state and government will join discussions about artificial intelligence governance, ethics, and implementation. French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will participate alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in sessions that will bring political leadership together with business executives and investors.

This convergence of government officials and technology industry leaders underscores the increasingly important role AI plays in national economic strategies and international relations. As nations position themselves in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, summits like this provide crucial platforms for establishing diplomatic frameworks around emerging technologies.

The hosting of this summit represents a strategic move for India, which has been working to position itself as a significant player in global technology governance. By bringing together international stakeholders to discuss AI accessibility and development, India aims to ensure developing nations maintain influence in shaping AI’s future rather than having frameworks dictated solely by technological superpowers.

Industry analysts note that the discussions taking place at the summit could have far-reaching implications for how AI technologies are developed, regulated, and deployed across different economies. Particular attention is being paid to how questions of AI safety, ethics, and equitable access will be addressed by both corporate and government representatives.

The enthusiastic response to the summit reflects growing recognition that artificial intelligence represents not just a technological shift but a fundamental transformation with implications for economies, societies, and geopolitical relationships. As AI capabilities continue to advance rapidly, forums like the AI Impact Summit provide essential opportunities for global stakeholders to align on governance approaches.

As the conference continues through the week, discussions are expected to touch on key challenges including AI regulation, talent development, computational infrastructure needs, and strategies for ensuring that AI benefits are broadly distributed across societies worldwide.