Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative Hosts Pre-Summit Dialogue in New Delhi

05 October 2025

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The Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative (AIGI) convened a high-level dialogue in New Delhi ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

The closed-door event, titled “Science, Safety and Society: Preparing for the AI Impact Summit,” was designated as an official Pre-Summit event by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and jointly organised with Carnegie India and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

The event brought together a cross-section of Indian and international experts for moderated discussions and keynote presentations. 

Attendees included: 

  • Professor Ajay Sood (Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India)
  • Professor Stuart Russell OBE FRS (Computer scientist)
  • Professor Robert Trager (Director, Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative)
  • Henry de Zoete OBE (Senior Advisor and Visiting Fellow, AIGI and former advisor to the UK PM)
  • Abhishek Singh (Additional Secretary at MeitY and CEO of IndiaAI)
  • Representatives from the UK AI Safety Institute

Other Indian experts and domain leaders included: 

  • Amit Shukla (Joint Secretary, Cyber Diplomacy and E-Governance, Ministry of External Affairs)
  • Rudra Chaudhuri (Director, Carnegie India)
  • Professor Balaraman Ravindran (Head-CeRAI, IIT Madras) 

Among the key industry representatives participating in the dialogue were:

  • Kalika Bali (Senior Principal Researcher at Microsoft India)
  • Michael Sellitto (Head of Global Affairs, Anthropic)
  • Pushmeet Kohli (Head of AI for Science, Google Deepmind).

The role of India and the Global South in global AI governance

Opening remarks underscored India’s strategic position as a bridge between advanced economies and low-and middle-income countries (LIMCs). Speakers highlighted that the Summit hosted by India would be centred on the impact of AI on people, planet and progress.

The first panel, “International AI Governance and Safety,” underscored the need to balance rapid innovation with safety and accountability, amid unprecedented international investment in AI systems. Participants emphasised the need for inclusive global governance structures that reflect the needs of emerging economies, addressing unique challenges such as caste-based bias that are often overlooked.

The second panel, “Inclusion and AI for Social Good,” was moderated by Miro Plueckebaum (AIGI Affiliate - Strategy & Research Management). Discussions spanned the need for localised AI applications in health and agriculture, innovative financing models, and shared infrastructures that empower diverse communities. Participants called for shared standards that account for LIMC realities to ensure AI progress benefits all.

The third panel, “Human Capital: Reimagining the Future of Work,” examined AI’s impact on labour markets, and emerging trends around automation and augmentation of labour. Panellists stressed the urgency of reskilling, social protection, and long-term planning to ensure that AI augments rather than displaces India’s human capital.

A keynote address by Pushmeet Kohli spotlighted the paradigm shifting impact of AI, from biology and physics to planetary science, while emphasising the dual-use risks of accelerating discovery. The event concluded with a wrap-up discussion calling for stronger multilateral cooperation to align AI progress, standardised governance practices, and international cooperation to ensure AI development serves humanity's collective interests. Findings and recommendations from the event will feed into deliberations for the outputs from the upcoming Summit.

Strategic Engagements in New Delhi

In addition to the dialogue, Professor Robert Trager and Henry de Zoete held a series of high-level meetings to deepen AIGI’s engagement with Indian policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders. These included discussions with Professor Ajay Sood, Abhishek Singh, Amit Shukla, and Rajan Bharti Mittal (Vice-Chairman of Bharti Enterprises). The visit also featured informal dinners with members of Indian industry, parliamentarians and Indian academia focussed on India’s role in shaping AI governance at the upcoming Summit.

The Pre-Summit dialogue and associated meetings have paved the way for more structured collaborations at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 and beyond. This visit cemented AIGI as a neutral scientific voice, facilitating substantive dialogue between diverse stakeholders to ensure advanced AI benefits society as a whole.