Global CEOs call for inclusive use of AI

Strike note of optimism and urgency, calling AI as an opportunity for economic acceleration

- SHIVANI SHINDE & UDISHA SRIVASTAV

OUR AI NEEDS TO WORK THE WAY WE SAY IT DOES, AS WELL AS WE SAY IT DOES, AND AS SAFELY AND SECURELY AS WE NEED IT TO

(Alexandr Wang, Chief AI Officer, Meta)

Global technology leaders on Thursday, the fourth day of the AI Impact Summit, struck a balance between optimism and urgency, framing AI as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for economic acceleration — particularly for the Global South — but one that would require choices on infrastructure, investment, and governance.

Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer (CEO), Google, described the current moment as the cusp of hyperprogress, with AI capable of helping countries leapfrog legacy gaps, but cautioned that such outcomes were neither automatic nor guaranteed without responsible and collaborative development. He also called for bridging the digital divide on AI. “Technology brings incredible benefits, but we must ensure everyone has access to them,” he said in his keynote address.