AI should human centric and inclusive: IT Secretary

Ahead of the AI Impact Summit, IT Secretary S Krishnan has said the key message India wants to send to the world is that artificial intelligence must remain human-centric and inclusive, with democratic access to AI resources.

In an interview with PTI, Krishnan said AI should be a positive force for the global economy, with the potential to drive growth across all parts of the world, including India and the Global South.

“The key message that we want to send is that whatever happens with AI needs to be human-centric and inclusive. There needs to be a democratic access to AI resources, and it needs to be done in a way that people and humans are at the centre of this process,” Krishnan said.

As countries prepare for deeper AI-adoption across sectors, India is positioning itself as a voice for equitable growth in the emerging technology landscape.

According to Krishnan, the broader goals are to ensure that AI becomes a truly inclusive technology, with the benefits of prosperity reaching all.

India is all set to host the India AI Impact Summit 2026, positioning the country at the centre for critical global conversations on AI governance, safety and economic growth. The summit will bring together policymakers, industry leaders and technology innovators at a time when nations are racing to define the AI agenda.

Krishnan underlined that AI must be leveraged as a “positive impetus” for the global economy, capable of putting the world on a higher growth trajectory.

The summit, he said, is aimed at fostering a meeting of minds among nations on how to approach a technology likely to shape global progress over the coming years.

“We need to look at it as a huge positive impetus to the overall economy, and the possibility of using AI, of leveraging this technology, to see growth across the world, including India, including the rest of the Global South, so that it becomes truly an inclusive technology, which puts the world on a higher growth trajectory, with benefits of prosperity reaching everybody,” Krishnan said.

He noted that while investment announcements and partnerships could emerge from the mega gathering, the summit is a platform to deepen global understanding of AI, assess its impact on humanity, and deliberate on the steps needed to maximise its positive and beneficial effects for all.