Indian PM flags AI bias concerns at Paris AI Summit.
MUMBAI: “…if you ask the same app to draw an image of someone writing with their left hand, the app will most likely draw someone writing with their Right hand. Because that is what the training data is dominated by.”
This bias, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned, transcends imagery and infiltrates critical domains like healthcare diagnostics and hiring algorithms, risking the entrenchment of historical inequities.
INDIA’S ROLE AT PARIS AI SUMMIT AND THE ETHICAL AI QUESTIONS RAISED BY PM
In a landmark moment for global tech diplomacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, co-chairing the 2025 Paris AI Summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, positioned India at the forefront of ethical artificial intelligence (AI) governance. The summit, attended by leaders, policymakers, and innovators from nearly 100 nations, became a platform for India to assert its vision for inclusive, transparent, and bias-free AI systems—a stance that resonated deeply in discussions about shaping humanity’s digital future.
INDIA’S LEADERSHIP IN GLOBAL AI GOVERNANCE
As co-chair of the summit, India’s rising influence in tech governance was unmistakable. PM Modi’s keynote address underscored India’s dual role as both an advocate for the Global South and a bridge between innovation and regulation. India asserted that AI should not become a tool to deepen inequality, but a force to democratize progress, aligning with India’s G20 mantra of “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”
The summit spotlighted India’s domestic strides in AI, from agriculture-tech innovations to the landmark Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) model, now hailed as a blueprint for equitable tech deployment globally.
PM’S WARNING: AI BIAS MIRRORS SOCIETY’S PREJUDICES
A defining moment came as PM Modi dissected the perils of AI bias, urging nations to confront embedded societal prejudices in algorithms. In fact many users on the platform X (formerly Twitter) instantly tested the “left hand writing” image prompt, and posted images of the generated images showing right handed people. It created quite a stir online and prompted a discussion about AI biases.
In fact, what Prime Minister Modi has emphasized is that AI bias isn’t limited to images but extends to critical areas such as medical diagnoses and hiring processes. These biases can perpetuate existing societal inequalities and have real-world consequences. He called for global cooperation to address these issues and develop high-quality, unbiased data sets to ensure that AI systems are fair and equitable.
PM Modi’s push for a “global governance framework” rooted in ethics dominated summit negotiations. He advocated mandatory transparency in AI training data and decision-making processes, particularly for high-risk applications in law enforcement and public services. Highlighting India’s own responsible AI initiatives, such as the INDIAai ecosystem and the “National Strategy for AI,” he stressed the need for guardrails to prevent monopolies and misuse.
INDIA’S COMMITMENT TO AI DEVELOPMENT
Backing its rhetoric with action, India has already announced a 1 billion investment to acquire 10,000 GPUs (Graphics Processing Units)—a critical infrastructure for AI development. This move aims to bolster domestic research and startups, reducing reliance on foreign tech giants. Additionally, PM Modi unveiled plans for a public-private partnership to build models like BharatGPT, India’s open-source multilingual AI model, designed to serve sectors from rural healthcare to judicial processes.
“This isn’t just about technological sovereignty,” explained an expert. “Open-source models can adapt to India’s linguistic diversity and socio-economic
GLOBAL CONSENSUS EMERGES, CHALLENGES REMAIN
While the summit concluded with a broad consensus on ethical principles, debates simmered over enforcement mechanisms. Modi’s proposal for a UN-led expert panel to audit AI bias gained traction, but differences persisted between nations advocating strict regulation (like EU members) and those prioritizing innovation (notably the US). India’s middle path—promoting “innovation with accountability”—emerged as a potential compromise.
THE ROAD AHEAD
As Delhi positions itself as a hub for ethical AI, challenges loom. Bridging the digital divide, securing cross-border data flows, and averting a global AI arms race will test PM Modi’s vision. However, with its vast talent pool, democratic ethos, and tech-first policies, India is poised to shape an AI future that aligns with its civilizational ethos—Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family).
The Paris Summit may be remembered as the moment India transitioned from an AI aspirant to a global agenda-setter.
The age of AI must not become a chapter of human surrender, but of mastery—with ethics as its compass.
For a nation striving to balance its ancient values with cutting-edge ambitions, the journey has just begun.
* Brijesh Singh is a senior IPS officer and an author, whose latest book is “The Cloud Chariot” (Penguin). Views are personal.