New Delhi, Feb 20 (NationPress) The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, had a significant meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of the AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi.

The President's Secretariat reported that during this meeting, Guterres acknowledged India's pivotal role in organizing the successful AI Impact Summit and highlighted the country’s enduring partnership with the United Nations across various sectors.

In response, President Murmu expressed her support for Guterres’ initiative to establish a global scientific panel focused on AI to benefit all of humanity.

She remarked that amidst global uncertainties, multilateralism faces pressing challenges, including a growing trust deficit. The President emphasized the need to reform the outdated structure of the UN Security Council to better reflect current geopolitical realities, advocating for a stronger voice for the Global South in decision-making processes. She stressed that urgent reform is essential for maintaining the UN's relevance and effectiveness.

The statement from the President's Secretariat included, "The President acknowledged that while the ‘UN-80’ initiative presents a promising platform for reforms, it is crucial that the developmental priorities of the Global South are safeguarded in any restructuring efforts. She conveyed her best wishes for the continuation of Mr. Guterres’ tenure as UN Secretary General and reaffirmed India’s commitment to multilateralism."

Earlier, Guterres had a discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where both leaders focused on ensuring that Artificial Intelligence is inclusive and deliberated on the UN's potential role in this regard.

"We reiterated India’s support for any initiative aimed at leveraging AI for a better world. Our conversation also included perspectives on UN reforms, particularly enhancing the voice of the Global South," PM Modi shared on X following their meeting.

In his speech at this landmark event, Guterres addressed the risks associated with AI fragmentation, urging for global interoperability standards to achieve superior outcomes at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

He warned, "Technological rivalry is escalating. Without a common baseline, fragmentation prevails, resulting in different regions and countries adhering to incompatible policies and technical standards."

While addressing the Summit, he asserted that achieving consensus on testing systems and assessing risks leads to interoperability.

“This allows a startup in New Delhi to scale globally with assurance because the benchmarks are unified and safety accompanies technology,” he noted.

Additionally, Guterres advocated for science-based AI guardrails to protect individuals and foster innovation.

“Once we grasp what AI systems are capable of and their limitations, we can transition from basic measures to more sophisticated, risk-based guardrails that safeguard people, uphold human rights, and maintain human agency,” he concluded.