Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled the ‘MANAV’ vision for artificial intelligence, calling for a human-centric, sovereign and inclusive approach to the fast-evolving technology, even as the AI Impact Summit here was overshadowed by the withdrawal of Bill Gates and sharp Opposition barbs.
World leaders and tech titans converged to shape global artificial intelligence norms at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. Heads of state including French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Finland’s Petteri Orpo, Bhutan’s Tshering Tobgay, Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Croatia PM Andrej Plenković, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Estonia’s Alar Karis and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres were present. Tech leadership included executives from Google, OpenAI, DeepMind and Adobe,
Unpacking the acronym, Modi said M stands for moral and ethical systems, A for accountable governance, N for national sovereignty, A for accessible and inclusive, and V for valid and legitimate. “We have to give an open sky to AI, but at the same time we have to keep the reins in our hands,” he said, stressing that welfare and happiness must remain the benchmark so humans do not become mere data points.
Pitching for democratisation and open-source codes, Modi said AI must serve the Global South and remain child-safe and family-guided. He described artificial intelligence as a transformative turning point in human history, adding that the direction chosen today would shape the future of civilisation.
The summit, billed as a major AI forum of the Global South, also saw announcements of massive investment commitments, reinforcing India’s bid to position itself as a leading voice in global AI governance.
Also read: Bill Gates a No-Show at AI Impact Summit
Congress mocks ‘MANAV’ acronym
The Congress took a swipe at the Prime Minister’s branding of the AI framework. Senior leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X: “The PM unveils his MANAV vision for AI. There is simply no treatment for this (A)cronym (I)nfection.”
The remark injected a political edge into the otherwise technology-focused summit, with the ruling party defending the vision as a value-based framework for responsible innovation.
Gates pulls out amid Epstein scrutiny
In a significant development, Bill Gates withdrew hours before his scheduled keynote address as scrutiny intensified over his past links with late financier jeffrey Epstein following fresh disclosures in US court filings.
The Gates Foundation said he stepped aside to ensure the focus remained on the summit’s priorities. Gates has earlier said his meetings with Epstein were a mistake confined to philanthropy-related discussions.
His absence, following another high-profile cancellation earlier in the week, cast a shadow over the high-stakes gathering even as global tech leaders, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, remained in attendance.
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