Modi meets several world leaders
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 23:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for a global compact to prevent misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and made a strong pitch for critical technologies to be human-centric, instead of finance-centric.
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Addressing the third session of the G20 summit here, Modi also said technology applications should be ‘global’ rather than ‘national’, and based on ‘open source’ rather than ‘exclusive models’.
PM Modi said that this vision has been integrated into India’s technology ecosystem, and the same has resulted in significant benefits, be it in space applications, AI or digital payments, where it is a world leader.
He was addressing the third session of the G20 Summit on the topic “A Fair and a Just Future for All – Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Artificial Intelligence.
We must all ensure that AI is used for global good and its misuse is prevented. To do this, we must create a global compact on AI based on certain core principles, including effective human oversight, safety-by-design, transparency, and strict restrictions on the use of AI in deepfakes, crime, and terror activities, Modi said.
The Prime Minister said AI systems that impact human life, security, or public trust must be responsible and auditable.
And most importantly, AI should enhance human capabilities, but the ultimate responsibility for decision-making always remains with humans, he added.
Modi said in this age of AI, the approach must rapidly shift from ‘Jobs of Today’ to ‘Capabilities of Tomorrow’.
Unlocking talent mobility is essential for rapid innovation. We made progress on this topic at the Delhi G20. We hope that in the next few years, the G20 will develop a global framework for talent mobility, PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister outlined India’s approach based on equitable access, population-level skilling, and responsible deployment.
He said that under the India-AI Mission, accessible high-performance computing capacity is being built with the objective of ensuring that AI benefits reach everyone in the country.
The Prime Minister said that India will be hosting the AI Impact Summit in February 2026 with the theme ‘Sarvajanam Hitaya, Sarvajanam Sukhaya’ [Welfare for all, Happiness for all], and invited all G20 countries to join this effort.
The Prime Minister articulated India’s message and commitment for global well-being, asserting that it stood for – development that is sustainable, trade that is trusted, finance that is fair, and progress in which everyone prospers.
Earlier, Modi said the reform of the UN Security Council was no longer an option, but a necessity and asserted that the India-Brazil-South Africa troika should send a clear message for changes to institutions of global governance.
Addressing the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) leaders summit here, Modi said that at a time when the world appears fragmented and divided, IBSA can provide a message of unity, cooperation, and humanity.
He also proposed institutionalising the IBSA NSA-level meeting to strengthen security cooperation among the three countries.
“In the fight against terrorism, we must move forward in close coordination. There is no place for any double standards on such a serious issue,” Modi said at the meeting attended by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Highlighting technology’s crucial role in ensuring human-centric development, the Prime Minister also proposed establishing an ‘IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance’ to facilitate the sharing of Digital Public Infrastructure like UPI, health platforms like CoWIN, cybersecurity frameworks and women-led tech initiatives among the three countries.
Appreciating the IBSA Fund’s work in supporting projects across 40 countries in sectors like education, health, women empowerment and solar energy, he proposed the IBSA Fund for Climate Resilient Agriculture to further advance South-South cooperation.
Meanwhile, Modi met with his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here and discussed bilateral cooperation in areas like innovation, defence and talent mobility.
“Had a productive meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan. We discussed ways to add momentum to bilateral cooperation in areas such as innovation, defence, talent mobility and more,” PM Modi posted on social media. The two leaders also discussed ways to enhance trade ties.
“We are also looking to enhance trade ties between our nations. A strong India-Japan partnership is vital for a better planet,” Modi added.
This is the first meeting between PM Modi and Takaichi after she assumed the leadership of her country in October.
Modi also met Canadian counterpart Mark Carney and they agreed to unlock the potential for deeper cooperation in defence and space sectors, besides advancing ties in areas such as trade, investment, technology and energy.
“Had a very productive meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada,” Modi said in a social media post after the meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here.
This was the second meeting between the two leaders. They earlier met in June on the margins of the G7 summit at Kananaskis in Canada.
“We appreciated the significant momentum in our bilateral ties since our earlier meeting held during the G7 Summit hosted by Canada. We agreed to further advance our relations in the coming months, particularly in trade, investment, technology and innovation, energy and education,” Modi said.
He said that India and Canada have great potential in strengthening trade and investment linkages. “We have set a target of 50 billion USD by 2030 for our bilateral trade. Canadian Pension Funds are also showing keen interest in Indian companies,” he said.
Modi also met several world leaders, including his counterparts from Jamaica and the Netherlands, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here and discussed a range of bilateral issues. (PTI)
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