Dozens of countries, including the United States and China, have issued a joint statement calling for “safe, trustworthy, and robust” artificial intelligence (AI) following a summit held in New Delhi, India.
The statement, signed by representatives from 86 countries, including Belgium and two international organisations, underscores the importance of fostering confidence in AI to maximise its social and economic benefits.
While the declaration does not contain any binding commitments, it highlights several voluntary initiatives, such as promoting global collaboration on AI research.
The text emphasises that AI’s potential will only be fully realised if its benefits are shared universally.
Stuart Russell, a prominent computer science researcher, welcomed the declaration, saying to AFP, “The commitments may not be entirely substantial, but the fact that commitments are being made at all is what matters most.”
The five-day summit featured speeches from key figures including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Leading tech leaders like Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, also participated, calling for urgent regulation of the rapidly developing technology.
Key topics discussed included the societal benefits of AI-powered multilingual translation, concerns about job displacement, and the environmental impact of data centre energy consumption.
The United States, however, rejected any form of global governance for AI, with White House Science and Technology Advisor Michael Kratsios stating their firm opposition during Friday’s discussions.
Notably, the US had declined to sign the declaration at the previous AI summit in Paris in 2025.
