Dozens of countries have called for the development of “safe, trustworthy and robust” artificial intelligence, endorsing a joint declaration at the close of a five-day global AI summit
in New Delhi.
The statement, signed by 86 countries and two international organisations, was published on Saturday and frames AI as a pivotal moment in technological history. “Promoting safe, trustworthy and robust AI is essential for building trust and maximising social and economic benefits,” the declaration says.
While the document stops short of concrete or legally binding commitments, it highlights a series of voluntary initiatives, particularly around international cooperation and shared AI research capabilities.
A turning point for technology
“We believe that the potential of AI can be fully realised only when its benefits are shared by all of humanity,” the text states, describing the rise of artificial intelligence as “an inflection point in the trajectory of technological evolution.”
Despite the lack of enforcement mechanisms, some experts see the declaration as a meaningful first step. Stuart Russell, a leading researcher in AI safety, told AFP that the commitments were not trivial. “The main thing is that there are commitments, quite simply,” he said.
Russell added that he hopes governments will build on this groundwork to establish binding safeguards that protect societies while allowing AI innovation to continue without “unacceptable risks.”
Global leaders and tech executives attend
The summit brought together dozens of delegations from across the world to debate how to manage the explosive growth of AI technologies.
Among the speakers were Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Swiss President Guy Parmelin, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The tech sector was represented by senior executives, including Sam Altman.
Discussions focused on the societal benefits of multilingual AI, the risk of job displacement, and the energy demands of data centres powering large-scale AI systems.
Competing visions for AI governance
Debates at the summit revealed two contrasting approaches to governing artificial intelligence.
Guterres announced the creation of a scientific commission aimed at making meaningful human control over AI “a technical reality.” Parmelin, meanwhile, warned against the concentration of AI power, noting that the United States and China dominate global AI research and investment.
“A monopoly or duopoly must be avoided,” the Swiss president said, urging other nations to cooperate and restore balance through global governance frameworks. He pointed to countries such as India, South Korea, France and Switzerland as potential leaders in this effort.
That vision, however, faces resistance. On Friday, the United States rejected the idea of global AI governance, with White House science and technology adviser Michael Kratsios saying Washington was “totally” opposed.
What comes next
At the 2025 summit in Paris, the United States declined to sign the declaration. Still, Altman warned that the pace of AI development makes regulation increasingly urgent.
Looking ahead, Parmelin announced that the next global AI summit will be held in Geneva next year, where pressure is likely to grow for stronger, more enforceable international rules. Photo by mikemacmarketing, Wikimedia commons.