United Nations, Feb 5 (NationPress) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has commended India for its proactive stance in tackling the issues surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) through the summit it has organized.

On Wednesday, Guterres expressed his excitement about participating in the India AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to take place in New Delhi from February 16 to 20.

He emphasized that AI is a pivotal concern in international relations and represents one of the most significant challenges of our time.

“It is essential for nations to unite and engage in discussions, involving civil society under various circumstances,” he stated.

Guterres acknowledged India's leadership role in organizing such summits during a news briefing that introduced the anticipated members of the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, which the UN is establishing.

According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, more than 35,000 individuals from over 100 nations have registered for the summit.

Additionally, over 500 startups will participate, making this event the largest of the four summits conducted to date, as per the Ministry.

The substantial attendance signifies the rising global momentum towards responsible, inclusive, and impact-oriented Artificial Intelligence.

Guterres indicated that one of his messages for the heads of state and leaders attending the summit will be, “How can we better mobilize the international community to enhance capacity building in developing nations?”

“For India, as a developing nation with significant existing capabilities, this objective is central to the summit,” he added.

Furthermore, he mentioned that his message will be closely related to the outcomes of the Global Digital Compact and will clarify the expected contributions of the international scientific panel, along with the anticipated dialogues.

The Global Digital Compact, adopted by world leaders at the UN Summit of the Future in 2024, outlines principles for collaborative efforts to ensure that digital advancements benefit everyone while addressing the implications of digital technologies on the environment, economy, and human rights.

The International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence was established by the General Assembly last year to monitor developments in the field and foster global dialogue regarding its governance.

Guterres has proposed 40 experts for the panel, who are expected to receive approval from the General Assembly.

UN Under-Secretary-General Amandeep Singh Gill stated that the experts were selected through a thorough process from over 2,600 nominations to ensure global representation and diverse expertise.

Balaraman Ravindran from IIT Madras is among the panel experts, leading the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) and the Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) at IIT.

Also included in the panel is Vipin Kumar, an Indian-American computer scientist and regents' professor at the University of Minnesota, where he directs the Data Science Initiative.

Guterres remarked that the panel will serve as the first global, fully independent scientific body aimed at bridging the AI knowledge gap and evaluating the genuine impacts of AI across economies and societies.

“The Panel will assist the world in distinguishing fact from fiction, and science from misinformation,” he stated, adding that it will provide a credible reference point when accurate and unbiased comprehension of AI is more essential than ever.