India remains committed to shape safe AI future: MoS Singh

Geneva, July 7 (IANS) Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on Tuesday said India remains committed to shaping an AI future that is safe, secure, trustworthy, and inclusive during his address at the United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva.

Singh said India firmly believes that responsible AI governance must rest on strong foundational principles, preserving human oversight, upholding human rights, and preventing its misuse. He added that these principles, as reflected in the recent India AI Impact Summit, are essential for ensuring that AI systems work across borders in ways that are ethical, secure, and beneficial to all.

He said India’s National Strategy for AI and National AI Governance Guidelines embody the philosophy of AI for all, inclusive growth for everyone without stifling innovation. However, for the Global South to participate meaningfully in AI governance, they must first close the glaring capacity gaps that exist today.

He noted that this Global Dialogue must take place at the United Nations, the world’s foremost platform for forging global consensus on issues of shared international concern.

Singh noted that machines do not quarrel over borders, ideology, or pride; humans do. According to him, AI governance structures must reflect unity of purpose, and divisions should not allow technology to outrun diplomacy.

He emphasised that this Global Dialogue is not merely a forum but a deciding forum, and this should be the moment for them to choose consensus over conflict before the choice is no longer theirs to make.

He said the paths that governments, international organisations, and the private sector follow in the coming years will decide whether AI becomes an enabler of equitable progress or a multiplier of existing inequalities.

Singh arrived in Geneva on Sunday to participate in the inaugural UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance.

The Global Dialogue on AI Governance is a universal, multi-stakeholder UN forum created under General Assembly Resolution 79/325, following the Global Digital Compact adopted as part of the Pact of the Future in September 2024, according to a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs.

–IANS

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