India is a “very profitable” rising economic system with an even bigger affect in world affairs, and is the “proper place” to host the AI summit, UN Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres has mentioned.
In an unique interview with PTI on the UN Headquarters forward of the India–AI Influence Summit 2026, Guterres underscored that synthetic intelligence ought to profit all the world and never simply be a privilege reserved for developed nations or two superpowers.
“I strongly congratulate India for organising this Summit. It is completely important that AI develops itself to the advantage of everyone, in all places and that nations within the International South are a part of the advantages of AI,” he mentioned.
The high-powered occasion being held from February 16 to February 20 would be the first-ever AI summit hosted within the International South and is anchored within the three guiding ideas of ‘Folks, Planet and Progress’.
Mr. Guterres, who might be travelling to India to attend the Summit, asserted “it could be completely unacceptable that AI can be only a privilege of essentially the most developed nations or a division solely between two superpowers”, an obvious reference to the U.S. and China.
“It’s completely important that AI turns into a common instrument for the advantage of humankind,” Mr. Guterres mentioned.
“The position of India, [which] is as we speak a really profitable rising economic system that’s having an even bigger and greater position in not solely the worldwide economic system however in its affect in world affairs, India is the precise place to have this Summit and to make it possible for AI [is] being mentioned in depth, in all its monumental potential and in addition in all its dangers, however that AI belongs to the entire world and never solely to a couple,” he mentioned.
From world leaders, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, to know-how honchos, together with Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, the Summit is bringing collectively leaders, policymakers and innovators from the world over for deep-dive discussions on the way in which ahead for AI.
Guterres had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi late final 12 months on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg and Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar when he was in New York.
Underlining his robust advocacy for multipolarity, Mr. Guterres highlighted India’s contribution in a multipolar world, saying he appears ahead to discussing this with the Indian management throughout his go to to New Delhi.
“There are two issues we have to keep away from on the earth. We have to keep away from the system in which there’s whole hegemony by just one energy or a system by which the world is split between two superpowers,” he mentioned.
Mr. Guterres added that he’s a “very robust advocate” of the necessity for true multipolarity on the earth.
For true multipolarity, it will be significant for rising economies to have a “increased and better” position and to determine a “stronger and stronger” community of commerce, technological and worldwide cooperation relations.
On this regard, he mentioned the latest commerce settlement between India and the European Union is a “good instance”. “India is without doubt one of the most related rising economies,” he mentioned.
“We’re seeing the world over, increasingly more, the creation of a community of, I might say, all developed nations but in addition, and really importantly, rising economies creating a real multipolarity with none hegemony, and permitting, then, multilateral organisations to be efficient,” he mentioned. Emphasising the significance of multipolarity, Mr. Guterres spoke about his “frustration” over the failure of the UN Safety Council to handle conflicts and preserve worldwide peace and safety.
“When one appears on the UN, you may think about my frustration once I see the Safety Council unable to take choices, and it’s clear that we want a basic reform of the Safety Council, initially, to characterize the world as it’s as we speak and never after the Second World Battle. And second, to have the ability to take efficient choices for peace and safety world wide,” he mentioned.
Mr. Guterres added that for a “honest” multilateral system, each within the UN and worldwide monetary establishments, rising economies have to have a stronger voice and be on the centre of this networking.
“I see India within the centre of these rising economies, and that is one thing I might be delighted to debate with Prime Minister Modi as a result of I’ve a number of hope for the position that India can play in shaping this multipolar world,” he mentioned.
On the Summit, Mr. Guterres might be joined by senior UN leaders, together with UN Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and Underneath-Secretary-Common and UN Secretary-Common’s Envoy on Expertise Amandeep Singh Gill.
Mr. Guterres additional underlined that “it’s all the time unbelievable” to go to India, “a democracy with an infinite range and extraordinary civilisation and tradition.” The UN chief elaborated that he’s at present studying about how India, for hundreds of years, has been the principle issue of transformation of the world, “beginning tons of of years earlier than Christ and happening for hundreds of years, with an infinite affect of Indian tradition, of Indian civilisation that we will see in China, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean.”
“Even within the time of the Roman Empire, there have been very robust connections with India and an important affect of Indian tradition in what’s as we speak the Mediterranean space. “So it’s all the time an infinite pleasure to go to India,” Mr. Guterres mentioned.
Printed – February 15, 2026 10:02 am IST