The five-day India AI Impact Summit 2026, concluded in New Delhi, has gone down in history as the largest diplomatic gathering dedicated to artificial intelligence to date. Representatives of 86 countries and two international organizations (88 signatories in total), including major powers such as the United States and China, endorsed a joint declaration promoting the development of safe, trustworthy, and resilient technology. Despite the lack of binding legal commitments, the document represents a significant step towards a global consensus on the ethical dimension of digital innovation.

New Delhi Declaration

88 countries signed an agreement for safe and trustworthy AI, emphasizing social benefits.

US Opposition to Regulation

Washington rejected the concept of global oversight, promoting market freedom and the export of American solutions.

UN Initiative

The Secretary-General established a commission of 40 scientists to study human control over new technologies.

Giant Rivalry

The summit revealed tensions between OpenAI and Anthropic ahead of planned record-breaking stock market debuts.

The AI summit in New Delhi, held from February 16 to 21, 2026, became an arena for crucial clashes over the future shape of the digital world. The final document, signed by 86 countries and two international organizations (88 signatories in total), emphasizes that artificial intelligence constitutes a turning point in human evolution. Signatories committed to ensuring that the benefits of AI are distributed fairly, which is of particular importance for countries of the Global South. Although the declaration text is non-binding, its publication was delayed by a day due to intense negotiations aimed at attracting as many countries as possible, including skeptical major powers. However, deep ideological divisions were revealed during the deliberations. The United States, represented by envoys of the Trump administration, categorically rejected the concept of centralized, global technology governance. The Americans advocated for a market expansion model and rejected "ideological obsessions with risk," which stands in stark contrast to the European model supporting strong regulations. India, as the host, sought to forge a "third way," promoting technological sovereignty and democratic access to AI tools, which is intended to support sectors such as agriculture and education. The first global meeting on AI safety took place in 2023 at Bletchley Park in the United Kingdom, where the Bletchley Declaration was signed, laying the foundations for international cooperation on risk assessment related to the most advanced language models. The event was also accompanied by displays of strength from tech leaders. Among those appearing on stage were Sam Altman from OpenAI and Dario Amodei from Anthropic, who, according to witness accounts, conspicuously avoided shaking hands. This symbolic behavior reflects the brutal struggle for market dominance and the upcoming stock market debuts of giants. Simultaneously, the UN established a new commission composed of 40 scientists, whose task is to ensure continuous human oversight over AI development and to temper the panic accompanying this technological revolution. „I believe that early versions of true super intelligence could emerge around 2027.” — Sam Altman

Mentioned People

  • Sam Altman — Co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, predicting the arrival of superintelligence.
  • Dario Amodei — CEO of Anthropic, the main competitor of OpenAI.
  • António Guterres — UN Secretary-General, initiator of the new scientific commission on AI.
  • Narendra Modi — Prime Minister of India, host of the summit aiming to strengthen India's role in the technology sector.