New Delhi, February 19 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a visionary address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, declaring artificial intelligence as a transformative moment in human history that will multiply human capabilities manifold.
In his keynote speech on the summit’s fourth day, Modi likened AI to the world’s major technological revolutions but emphasized its unprecedented speed. ‘Unlike past innovations that took decades, AI’s evolution from machine learning to learning machines is rapid, profound, and pervasive,’ he stated.
The Prime Minister urged a balanced approach, calling for grand visions matched by equally grand responsibilities. He stressed the need to consider not just the current generation but future ones, pondering what form of AI we will hand over to them.
‘The real question today isn’t what AI can do in the future, but what we do with it now,’ Modi asserted. He highlighted the summit’s goal to shift AI from machine-centric to human-centric, making it sensitive and accountable.
India’s perspective on AI, reflected in the summit’s theme ‘Sarvajan Hitaya – Sarvajan Sukhaya’ (for the welfare and happiness of all), sets a clear benchmark. Modi advocated democratizing AI, ensuring humans aren’t reduced to mere data points or raw materials, but empowered through inclusive access, especially in the Global South.
Critiquing big tech’s secretive approach, where AI codes are treated as strategic assets, Modi insisted that true global benefit comes from open, public codes. ‘India believes AI serves humanity best when its foundations are transparent and shared,’ he concluded, inspiring a call to action for ethical AI advancement.