India AI Impact Summit 2026: Global Leaders Call for Safe & Accountable AI in Public Systems

Ø India's Digital Ambition Shaping Global AI Governance: Alar Karis, President of Republic of Estonia

Ø India AI Summit Showcases Value of Inclusive Global South Dialogue

1. Focus of the Session

· Held on Day 3 of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

· Theme: “Governing Safe and Responsible AI within Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)”.

· Emphasis on embedding AI into public systems in ways that are safe, transparent, accountable, and inclusive.

2. AI’s Expanding Role in Public Infrastructure

· AI increasingly underpins service delivery in:

o Health

o Education

o Social protection

o Public administration

· Speakers stressed that in DPI systems, trust and legitimacy are foundational governance principles, not optional features.

3. Estonia: Transparency & Human Oversight Are Essential

· Alar Karis, President of Estonia, praised India’s leadership in DPI.

· Highlighted that when AI is integrated into state systems:

o Algorithmic transparency

o Human oversight
are essential for maintaining public trust.

4. Switzerland: Accountability Cannot Be Outsourced

· Bernard Maissen of Switzerland emphasized:

o International cooperation and capacity building.

o Governments remain accountable for AI-driven decisions — even if systems are built by private firms.

· Without accountability, public trust cannot endure.

5. Lithuania: Safeguards by Design

· Taurimas Valys of Lithuania warned against AI becoming a tool for surveillance or discrimination.

· Called for inclusion and rights protection to be embedded by design.

6. Netherlands: Democracy at the Core

· Harry Verweij of Netherlands framed AI governance as central to democratic legitimacy.

· Efficiency should never override dignity, fairness, and human rights.

7. Panel Discussion: Practical Governance Tools

Panelists included:

· Prateek Waghre (Tech Global Institute)

· Juan Carlos Lara (Derechos Digitales)

· Alexandria Walden (Google)

· Norman Schulz (Federal Foreign Office)

Key themes discussed:

· Algorithmic transparency

· Impact assessments

· Grievance redressal mechanisms

· Participatory design processes

· Lifecycle accountability (governance beginning before deployment)

8. Global South & Shared Standards

· Speakers emphasized inclusive global forums and shared standards.

· Lessons from Global South deployments highlighted the importance of contextual governance.

Conclusion

The session reinforced that as AI becomes embedded within digital public infrastructure, governance must evolve alongside technology. Responsible AI in DPI requires human rights safeguards, democratic accountability, transparency, and people-centred design — ensuring technology strengthens public trust rather than undermines it.

[ABS News Service/18.02.2026]

On the third day of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the session on “Governing Safe and Responsible AI within Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)” brought together global leaders and experts to examine how artificial intelligence can be embedded in public systems in ways that are safe, accountable and inclusive.

As digital public infrastructure increasingly underpins service delivery across health, education, social protection and public administration, the session underscored that AI systems integrated into these frameworks shape decision-making, allocation of resources and the exercise of rights at scale. In such contexts, trust, legitimacy and accountability were framed not as technical add-ons, but as foundational principles of governance.

Alar Karis, President of the Republic of Estonia, praised India's leadership in digital public infrastructure, stating it's shaping the global conversation on technology, governance, and inclusion. Emphasising the structural role of DPI in modern state capacity, H.E. Alar Karis, President of Estonia, said “Digital public infrastructure is no longer just a technical backbone for service delivery; it is a foundation of how modern states operate. When AI is embedded into these systems, algorithmic transparency and human oversight are not optional additions; they are essential conditions for public trust and legitimacy”.

Highlighting the responsibility of public institutions in AI-enabled governance, H.E. Bernard Maissen, State Secretary and Head of the Federal Office for Communications, Switzerland, said “International cooperation and capacity building are essential parts in leveraging AI for good governance across the world. Sharing good practices among countries will help each other learn and grow. India AI summit demonstrates the value of convening inclusive global south focusing conversation on AI Governance. Digital public infrastructure must reflect the highest standards of human rights, accountability, inclusivity and transparency. Public authorities remain responsible for decisions taken or supported by AI, even when systems are developed or operated by private actors. Without accountability, trust cannot be sustained.”

Furthermore, stressing upon the need for safeguards by design, H.E. Taurimas Valys, Vice Minister of Lithuania, “Responsible AI begins with strong public sector foundations. AI in digital public infrastructure must never become a tool for surveillance or discrimination; technology must serve people, not the other way around, and inclusion must be built into systems by design”.

Framing the governance within DPI as central to democratic legitimacy, H.E. Harry Verweij, Ambassador-at-Large for Artificial Intelligence at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, said “AI governance in digital public infrastructure is about public trust and democratic legitimacy. Human rights, transparency, accountability and inclusion are not optional add-ons; they are foundational design principles, and efficiency can never come at the cost of dignity and fairness”.

Following the addresses by the Heads of Delegation, a panel discussion deepened the conversation by examining practical governance mechanisms, lifecycle accountability and lessons from Global South deployments. The discussion focused on rights-respecting and human-centred governance frameworks, including algorithmic transparency, impact assessments, grievance redressal mechanisms and participatory design processes. Speakers noted that governance failures often originate well before deployment, at the level of institutional design and political decision-making, making early-stage accountability essential.

The panel featured Prateek Waghre, Head, Programs and Partnerships at Tech Global Institute; Juan Carlos Lara, Executive Director of Derechos Digitales; Alexandria Walden, Global Head of Human Rights at Google; and Norman Schulz, Deputy Head of Unit, Coordination Staff for AI and Digital Technologies in Foreign Policy, Federal Foreign Office, Germany.

Drawing on experiences from Europe and the Global South, the session concluded that inclusive global forums and shared standards are essential to ensure that AI embedded in digital public infrastructure strengthens democratic accountability, safeguards human rights and delivers tangible public value at scale. As countries expand AI integration into public systems, the discussion reinforced that responsible governance must evolve alongside technological capability, placing people, rights and trust at the centre of digital transformation.