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Global South hosts pivotal AI summit amid Western dominance concerns
India is hosting the AI Impact Summit this week, drawing tech leaders, policymakers, and academics to discuss equitable AI development as the Global South risks falling behind in the technological race.
Shifting power dynamics in AI governance
Last year's AI Action Summit in Paris saw Western nations clash over leadership in AI regulation. U.S. Vice President JD Vance asserted America's dominance in a fiery speech, framing it as non-negotiable. This year's event in Delhi, however, is expected to adopt a more collaborative tone.
India, a key contributor to AI infrastructure yet underrepresented in its economic benefits, is positioning itself as a bridge between the Global South and Western tech giants. The summit reflects a growing push for inclusive AI governance, with India advocating for a bottom-up approach focused on societal impact rather than geopolitical rivalry.
India's AI paradox: Innovation amid inequality
While cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai host thriving AI hubs and attract investments from Google, Nvidia, and Amazon, much of India's AI workforce remains underpaid. Data annotators-critical to training AI models-earn an average of 480,000 rupees ($5,000) annually in Chennai, a fraction of OpenAI's $500 billion valuation.
Journalist Karen Hao's book Empire of AI highlights the grim realities of this labor, including workers exposed to disturbing content to moderate AI-generated images. Despite these challenges, India's tech workforce is pivotal to global AI development.
Language barriers and digital exclusion
The 2026 International AI Safety Report reveals stark disparities in AI adoption: over 50% of populations in some countries use AI, while much of Africa, Asia, and Latin America lags below 10%. In India, major U.S. chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude support only half of the country's 22 official languages, excluding millions from digital services in education, healthcare, and finance.
"Without technology that understands and speaks these languages, millions are excluded from the digital revolution," said Professor Pushpak Bhattacharyya of IIT Mumbai.
India's sovereign AI platforms, part of its $1.2 billion AI Mission, aim to address this gap but progress has been slow compared to the rapid advancements of U.S. and Chinese competitors like DeepSeek and ByteDance.
Global South's push for equitable AI
India's focus is on leveraging AI for economic growth and digital sovereignty, rather than engaging in geopolitical power struggles. Rajan Anandan, managing director of Peak XV, emphasized the country's ambition: "This is about economic transformation, digital sovereignty, and building capability at scale."
Experts argue that India's role as a "middle power" could foster a more democratic AI governance model. Professor Gina Neff of Queen Mary University London noted, "The Americans will have less influence with this bottom-up approach, which prioritizes people, planet, and progress."
Jeni Tennison of Connected by Data added, "Governments must collaborate to counter corporate dominance and create an inclusive, people-centered AI vision."
Skepticism over safety and transparency
Despite optimism, concerns linger about the summit's focus on safety and accountability. After the 2023 UK AI Safety Summit dropped "safety" from its title, some experts question whether Delhi will deliver meaningful outcomes. British computer scientist Dame Wendy Hall, attending the event, expressed low expectations: "It's important we're here, but I don't anticipate significant progress on mitigating AI risks."
Amanda Brock of OpenUK advocates for transparency, urging AI companies to open their models for scrutiny and adaptation. "Real impact for the Global South requires accessible AI," she said, though key details like training data remain closely guarded by tech giants.
What's next for AI governance?
As the summit unfolds, the world watches whether India can steer the conversation toward equitable AI development. With Western dominance waning, the Global South's demands for inclusivity, language support, and ethical labor practices may reshape the future of AI-if the summit's promises translate into action.
