World Leaders Converge at India’s AI Impact Summit as Global AI Govern

When the doors opened at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi this week, the crowd that poured in wasn’t just another tech conference audience. Students, researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from across India and beyond queued for hours, some traveling from distant states to witness what the government has positioned as the country’s definitive statement on artificial intelligence.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026, running February 16-20, has already drawn record attendance—so much so that organizers had to extend the expo by an extra day to accommodate the overwhelming public interest.

“The summit represents India’s commitment to shaping the global AI agenda while ensuring these technologies serve humanity’s broader interests.” — Indian Government Official

A $65 Million Signal from Silicon Valley

The timing couldn’t be more significant. Just days before the summit, Meta announced a $65 million election-focused initiative designed to advance AI development while preventing state legislation that could inhibit innovation. The investment represents one of the largest single corporate commitments to AI policy work and signals how seriously tech giants are taking the regulatory landscape.

Meta’s strategy reflects a broader industry calculation: engage early and deeply with policymakers, or risk being sidelined by regulations that could fundamentally reshape how AI systems are built and deployed. The company is betting that proactive investment in governance frameworks will yield better outcomes than reactive compliance.

The competitive dynamics are equally telling. With OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Microsoft all represented at the summit—alongside India’s own burgeoning startup ecosystem—the event has become a stage for both collaboration and subtle positioning. Each player is eager to demonstrate leadership in responsible AI development while securing favorable regulatory environments.

“We’re past the hype cycle now. Companies that can demonstrate real value—measurable, repeatable, scalable value—are the ones that will define the next decade of AI.” — Industry Analyst

The Geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on Thursday, February 19, brings together an extraordinary constellation of global leadership. French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez, and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will join OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Dennis Hassabis, Microsoft President Brad Smith, and Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani.

The presence of Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates underscores another dimension of the summit’s ambitions: ensuring AI development addresses global development challenges, not just commercial opportunities. For India, which has positioned itself as a leader in frugal innovation and digital public infrastructure, the summit represents a chance to shape AI governance in directions that prioritize accessibility and equity.

More than 400 exhibitors—from early-stage startups to government research labs—have set up booths at the venue. The diversity of participants reflects a maturing ecosystem where AI is no longer the exclusive domain of well-funded tech companies in San Francisco or Beijing.

The Consciousness Question Looms

Beneath the policy discussions and partnership announcements runs a deeper current of uncertainty. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s recent admission that his company is “unsure” whether AI systems like Claude might be conscious has reignited philosophical debates that once seemed purely academic.

Amodei’s comments about “anxiety neurons” lighting up in AI models—patterns that activate when systems encounter situations humans might find stressful—have raised profound questions about the nature of machine intelligence and moral responsibility.

The interpretability challenge lies at the heart of this uncertainty. As Amodei explained, researchers are “looking inside the brains of the models to try to understand what they’re thinking.” What they find there—whether patterns that merely simulate understanding or something more—could reshape how society approaches AI development.

From Vatican to Valley: A Moral Reckoning

The summit also arrives at a moment of broader cultural reflection on AI’s implications. Pope Leo XIV has made artificial intelligence a central concern of his papacy, drawing parallels between the current technological revolution and the industrial upheaval that prompted Pope Leo XIII’s landmark 1891 encyclical on workers’ rights.

The pontiff’s warnings about AI’s impact on “humanity’s openness to truth and beauty, and capacity for wonder and contemplation” introduce dimensions of the debate that rarely surface in technical conferences. Yet they resonate with growing public anxiety about a future shaped by systems few fully understand.

The Road Ahead

As the summit enters its final days, several questions remain unanswered. Will the gathering produce concrete commitments on AI safety standards, or will it join the growing list of well-intentioned but ultimately inconclusive international forums? How will India’s domestic AI strategy evolve in light of the global perspectives on display?

For the thousands of attendees who braved overcrowded venues and extended their stays to participate, the summit has already delivered something valuable: a sense that AI governance is becoming a genuinely global conversation, not one dictated by a handful of companies and countries.

Whether that conversation translates into meaningful action will determine whether events like the India AI Impact Summit are remembered as turning points or merely as well-staged performances in an ongoing drama.

This article was reported by the ArtificialDaily editorial team. For more information, visit The Hindu and The New York Times.