Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 June addressed the outreach session on 'Ensuring a Safe, Rapid and Efficient Rollout of Artificial Intelligence' at the G7 Summit in Evian, France, calling for a human-centric approach to AI that prioritises inclusivity, security, and public good. The remarks, confirmed by an official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), positioned India as a proponent of equitable AI access — particularly for nations in the Global South.

India's Human-Centric Vision for AI

Modi underscored that while AI is a 'transformative force with the potential to redefine the direction of human civilisation', its ultimate value lies not in the power of machines but in how much it empowers ordinary people. He framed this as India's MANAV (human) vision — anchoring AI development in the principles of inclusivity, security, and public good.

In a post on his official X account, Modi wrote: 'The true test of AI is not how powerful our machines become. Its real test lies in how much it empowers ordinary human beings.' He added that this guiding philosophy had shaped India's decision to host the AI Impact Summit recently.

Four Proposals for Global AI Governance

The Prime Minister put forward four concrete suggestions for the international community. First, AI systems should be safe-by-design. Second, AI deployment must be accompanied by common standards, testing frameworks, and regulatory guidelines. Third, there should be effective global cooperation to combat deepfakes, misinformation, and cyber fraud. Fourth, the benefits of AI must reach countries of the Global South to ensure an inclusive global order.

These proposals reflect India's broader push to shape multilateral technology governance from a developing-world perspective — a stance Modi has consistently advanced in forums from the G20 to the United Nations.

Cyberspace as a Global Public Good

Modi also stressed that cyberspace must serve the global public interest, and that access to AI models cannot remain concentrated among a handful of nations. In a second post on X, he wrote: 'India firmly believes that cyberspace has to be one that furthers the global public good. Access to AI technologies must also be broad and inclusive. All democratic countries should have access to such AI models so that they can protect their critical information infrastructure and respond effectively to growing cyber threats.'

The MEA statement noted that Modi emphasised democratic nations must be equipped with AI tools capable of securing critical infrastructure and countering escalating cyber threats — a pointed signal amid global concerns over state-sponsored cyberattacks.

Integrated Approach: Safety, Speed, and Efficiency Together

A key theme of Modi's address was the rejection of trade-offs between safety and speed in AI rollout. He called for an integrated approach where the three imperatives — safety, speed, and efficiency — are pursued simultaneously rather than sequentially. This positions India against regulatory frameworks that treat safety as a brake on innovation, arguing instead that the two can and must coexist.

Modi concluded by stating that 'AI must expand human potential, empower human choice and protect human dignity', and affirmed that India would continue working with international partners to advance these objectives. The statement comes as G7 nations intensify discussions on binding versus voluntary AI governance frameworks.