UN chief concludes four-day India visit after AI Impact Summit address

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres concluded a four-day visit to India after urging global action on fair and inclusive governance of artificial intelligence at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

Addressing the Summit’s opening ceremony, the UN chief said the future of AI “cannot be decided by a handful of countries — or left to the whims of a few billionaires,” stressing that the technology “must belong to everyone.”

He highlighted two recent steps taken by the UN General Assembly: the establishment of an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, composed of 40 experts from around the world, and the launch of a Global Dialogue on AI Governance.

The UN chief also renewed his call for a Global Fund on AI to support developing countries with skills, data and affordable computing power, proposing a $3 billion target to build foundational capacity.

Speaking at a Summit side event on the role of science in AI governance, the UN chief warned that AI innovation is “moving at the speed of light,” outpacing collective understanding and regulatory systems. Policy, he said, “cannot be built on guesswork” or “hype,” and must instead be grounded in trusted, shared evidence. The Independent International Scientific Panel will help establish a common analytical baseline ahead of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, scheduled for July.

The Summit concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact, endorsed by 88 countries and international organizations, outlining a shared global vision for collaborative, trusted, resilient and efficient AI.

During his visit, the UN chief met President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, congratulating them on hosting the Summit and exchanging views on international developments and multilateral reform. 

He also met the UN Country Team and engaged with heads and senior leaders of UN agencies, funds and programmes participating in the event.

At a reception held in his honour in New Delhi, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh shared India’s perspectives on the global situation and reiterated the country’s commitment to a strengthened multilateral system.