Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the gathering during the India AI Impact Summit 2026, in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit:
–
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said it is important to democratise artificial intelligence (AI) so that humans don’t become just a data point or limited to raw material only.
“We need to democratise AI. We need to make it a means for exclusion and empowerment, especially in the Global South…we also need to provide an open sky for AI and keep command in our hands just like GPS that suggests our route, but we take the final call on which direction we will go,” Modi said here at the inaugural session of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
Modi remarked that India’s vision for AI is clearly reflected in the theme of the summit — Welfare for all, Happiness of all and emphasised that this is the benchmark for India.
Regarding jobs, the PM noted that the future of work in AI is not pre-defined, but will depend on collective decisions and actions. The future of work is a new opportunity, marking an era where humans and intelligent systems co-create, co-work, and co-evolve. He underlined that AI will make work smarter, more efficient, and more impactful, enabling better design, faster building, and improved decision-making.
“AI will also open higher-value, creative, and meaningful roles for more people, creating opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and new industries. We have to make skilling, reskilling, and lifelong learning a mass movement,” he said.
Modi also highlighted that transparency is the greatest safeguard. He said that while some countries and companies consider AI a strategic asset to be developed confidentially, India believes AI will benefit the world, only when it is shared. He emphasised on open code and shared development which will allow millions of young minds to make AI better and safer. He called for a collective resolve to develop AI as a global common good.
He also noted that there was an urgent need for global standards because of deepfakes and fabricated content that are destabilising open societies.
“Just like we see nutrition labels on food, digital content too must carry authenticity labels so people can distinguish between real and AI-generated material. There is a growing need for watermarking and clear source standards as AI increasingly generates text, images, and videos, to build trust into technology from the start,” he mentioned.
Emphasising the importance of child safety, the Prime Minister also stated that just as school syllabi are curated, the AI space must also be child-safe and family-guided. He remarked that today there are two kinds of people—those who see fear in AI and those who see fortune.
He asserted that India sees fortune and future in AI, backed by talent, energy capacity, and policy clarity. Mentioning that three Indian companies have launched their AI models and apps during the Summit, he said these models reflect the talent of India’s youth and showcase the depth and diversity of solutions that India is contributing to the global AI landscape.
More Like This
Published on February 19, 2026
