French-Indian tango over the future of AI

The Paris Summit is uniquely placed to promote high-tech and AI as a force for global good

- Mohan Kumar

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit that began in Paris on Monday is only the third of its kind, the first having been held in November 2023 in the United Kingdom and the second in May 2024 in South Korea.

The Paris Summit aims to collectively establish scientific foundations, solutions and standards for more sustainable AI working for collective progress and in the public interest.

Co-chaired with India, the event builds on the advances made at the Bletchley Park Summit in November 2023 and the Seoul Summit in May 2024 and will draw on the expertise of a steering committee bringing together some 30 countries and international institutions to ensure inclusive and diverse contributions.

The fact that the AI Action Summit is co-chaired by France and India assures the presence of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi by the side of French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

The joint presence of France and India is more than just symbolic.

When the French President was in India as the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations in January 2024, the two leaders had a chance to discuss AI in their bilateral talks.

Recognising the evolving landscape of technology, both leaders underlined the imperative for effective multi-stakeholder collaboration to ensure the development of safe, secure and trustworthy AI.

There is thus a joint Franco-Indian commitment to enhance Collaborative AI for Global Partnership to promote equitable access to critical AI resources.

The Paris AI Summit is expected to come up with the following deliverables: