NEW DELHI, Feb 19, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Artificial intelligence must be 
accessible and inclusive, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told world 
leaders and tech CEOs on Thursday, at a summit focused on the fast-evolving 
technology.

His call was echoed by UN chief Antonio Guterres, who warned the gathering 
that AI cannot be left to "the whims of a few billionaires".

"We must democratise AI. It must become a medium for inclusion and 
empowerment," Modi said, speaking in Hindi.

"We are entering an era where humans and intelligence systems co-create, co-
work and co-evolve," he added. "We must resolve that AI is used for the 
global common good."

Frenzied demand for generative AI has turbocharged profits for many companies 
while fuelling anxiety about the risks to society and the planet.

The AI Impact Summit is the fourth annual international gathering to discuss 
how to handle it, following previous meetings in Paris, Seoul and Britain.

Sam Altman, head of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Google's Sundar Pichai and other 
tech bosses are speaking on Thursday, but Microsoft founder Bill Gates 
cancelled just hours before his speech.

Gates, facing questions over his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, 
withdrew to "ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities", the 
Gates Foundation said.

Another foundation official will take the place of Gates, who said this month 
he regrets "every minute" he spent with Epstein.

The mere mention of someone's name in the Epstein files does not in itself 
imply any wrongdoing by that person.

- 'Must belong to everyone' -

This year's AI summit -- the largest yet -- has been attended by tens of 
thousands of people from across the sector, including dozens of world leaders 
and ministers.

"AI must belong to everyone," Guterres said Thursday, calling on tech tycoons 
to support a $3 billion global fund to ensure open access to the technology.

"The future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries -- or left to 
the whims of a few billionaires," he said.

Many researchers and AI safety campaigners believe stronger action is needed 
to combat issues ranging from sexualised deepfakes to AI-enabled online scams 
and surveillance.

Last year's host, French President Emmanuel Macron, said he was determined to 
ensure safe oversight of the fast-evolving technology.

"Europe is not blindly focused on regulation -- Europe is a space for 
innovation and investment, but it is a safe space," he said.

Last year in Paris, US Vice President JD Vance had warned against "excessive 
regulation" that "could kill a transformative sector".

This year's US government delegation, led by the under secretary of commerce 
for international trade, has kept a low profile.

- Big deals -

As the first global AI meeting held in a developing country, the five-day 
summit, which wraps up Friday, has also been a chance for India to boost its 
position in the booming sector.

The nation expects more than $200 billion in investments over the next two 
years, and US tech titans have unveiled new deals, investments and 
infrastructure for the South Asian country this week.

On Thursday, ChatGPT maker OpenAI and Indian IT giant Tata Consultancy 
Services (TCS) announced a plan to build hyperscale AI data centre capacity 
in the South Asian country.

The previous day Google said it planned to lay subsea cables as part of an 
existing $15 billion AI infrastructure investment.

US chip behemoth Nvidia -- the world's most valuable company -- also said it 
was teaming up with Indian cloud computing providers to provide advanced 
processors for data centres that can train and run AI systems.

AI data centres are under construction worldwide on a massive scale, as 
companies race to develop super-intelligent systems.

The huge amounts of electricity needed to power them and water to cool hot 
servers have sparked alarm at a time when countries have pledged to 
decarbonise their grids to try and slow climate change.

- Long way to go -

Last year India leapt to third place in an annual global ranking of AI 
competitiveness calculated by Stanford researchers, although experts say it 
has a long way to go before it can rival the United States and China.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in town to attend the AI 
summit and hold talks with Modi, including on rare earths.

Leaders are expected to deliver a statement on Friday about how they plan to 
handle AI technology.

One fear is disruption to the job market -- especially in India, where 
millions of people are employed in call centres and tech support services.

Some say the broad focus of the event and vague promises made at previous 
global AI summits mean that concrete commitments are unlikely.