Secretary-General, at AI Impact Summit, Urges $3 Billion in Investment for Developing Countries, Strong Guardrails to Ensure Technology Benefits Everyone

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres' remarks to the India Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact Summit opening ceremony, in New Delhi today:

Prime Minister Modi, thank you for your kind invitation and congratulations for India's leadership in organizing the first AI Summit in the global South.

Meeting in India has special meaning. It brings this conversation closer to the realities shaping much of the world. Because the future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries or left to the whims of a few billionaires.

Last year, the UN General Assembly took two decisive steps: First, creating an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI. And I am happy to announce that the Panel has now been appointed.

These 40 leading experts from across regions and disciplines embody a clear message: AI must belong to everyone. We must replace hype and fear with shared evidence and close knowledge gaps. I urge Member States, industry and civil society to contribute to the Panel's work.

Second, launching a Global Dialogue on AI Governance within the United Nations, where all countries, together with the private sector, academia and civil society, can have a voice. We need guardrails that preserve human agency, human oversight and human accountability.

The first session of the dialogue in Geneva in July will give every country, and every stakeholder, a voice: to align efforts, uphold human rights, prevent misuse, and to advance on common safety measures - the foundation for interoperability; that builds trust across borders for regulators and businesses and turns compatibility into opportunity. Your discussions here will culminate in the Global Dialogue.

But without investment, many countries will be logged out of the AI age. AI must be accessible to everyone.

That's why, encouraged by the General Assembly of the United Nations, I am calling for a Global Fund on AI to build basic capacity in developing countries: skills, data, affordable computing power and inclusive ecosystems. Our target is $3  billion. That's less than 1 per cent of the annual revenue of a single tech company. A small price for AI diffusion that benefits all, including the businesses building AI.

I am pleased that Member States have responded to my call to form a Global Network for Exchange and Cooperation on AI Capacity-Building in the developing world.

AI must benefit everyone. Done right, AI can advance the Sustainable Development Goals; accelerate breakthroughs in medicine; expand learning opportunities; strengthen food security; bolster climate action and disaster preparedness; and improve access to vital public services.

But it can also deepen inequality, amplify bias and fuel harm. As AI's energy and water demands soar, data centres and supply chains must switch to clean power, [not] shift costs to vulnerable communities. We must invest in workers so AI augments human potential, not replaces it.

And AI must be safe for everyone. We must protect people from exploitation, manipulation and abuse. No child should be a test subject for unregulated AI.

The message of this Summit is simple: Real impact means technology that improves lives and protects the planet. So, let's build AI for everyone with dignity as the default setting.