&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries': Guterres takes a swipe at US, China | India AI Summit")
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, on Thursday (Feb 19), while speaking at the India AI Summit 2026 in New Delhi, delivered a pointed message to global powers: the future of artificial intelligence must not be shaped by a select few nations or tech giants.
AI's future not limited to the whims of billionaires
Addressing leaders and industry stakeholders at the opening ceremony, the UN chief said that decisions about AI governance cannot be "left to the whims of a few billionaires" or dominated by a handful of countries, a remark widely seen as aimed at the United States and China, which currently lead in AI development.
'AI must belong to everyone': UN sets up global scientific panel on AI
"AI must belong to everyone," Guterres said, urging governments, industry and civil society to support the initiative. He stressed the need to move beyond "hype and fear", replacing them with "shared data".
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The UN Chief announced that the United Nations has now appointed a 40-member Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, following a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly last year.
Global dialogue and ‘guardrails’
The UN Secretary-General also highlighted the launch of a Global Dialogue on AI Governance within the United Nations framework. The first session is scheduled to take place in Geneva in July, giving all countries a platform to discuss standards, safeguards and accountability mechanisms.
He noted that there was a need for "guardrails" to help preserve human agency, oversight and accountability, warning that without coordinated rules, AI risks deepening inequality and enabling misuse.
To ensure developing nations are not left behind, Guterres proposed a Global Fund on AI aimed at building basic capacity worldwide, including skills training, data infrastructure and affordable computing power. "Our target is 3 billion US dollars," he noted. "That’s less than one per cent of the annual revenue of a single tech company," he noted, arguing that inclusive AI development would ultimately benefit businesses as well. "AI must be accessible to everyone," insisted Guterres.
