AI Action Summit 2025: Indian PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron Lead Global AI Dialogue in Paris

The AI Action Summit 2025, held on February 10-11 in Paris, was co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It brought together 1,000+ participants from 100+ countries, focusing on the responsible and inclusive global development of AI, involving leaders, academics, and industry experts. 

The AI Action Summit is a global forum aimed at shaping the future of artificial intelligence through collaborative governance, ethical AI development, and international cooperation. The 2025 edition, co-chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, brought together global leaders, AI experts, and policymakers at the Grand Palais in Paris. 

The summit served as a platform to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, with a particular focus on global governance, ethical AI, and inclusive AI development.

The summit underscored the transformative potential of AI across industries, including healthcare, finance, education, security, and sustainable development, while addressing concerns such as AI biases, cybersecurity threats, deepfakes, and the impact on jobs. 

The key objective of the discussions was to create a roadmap for responsible AI regulation and ensure equitable access to AI resources, especially for emerging economies.

On February 10, 2025, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Paris as part of a France-US diplomatic tour. A significant highlight of his visit was co-chairing the AI Action Summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at the Grand Palais. 

During his address on February 11, PM Modi underscored the necessity of international cooperation to establish responsible AI frameworks. He highlighted AI’s potential to drive economic growth and social progress, stressing that effective governance must ensure equitable access and mitigate risks associated with AI technology.

Key takeaways from the AI Action Summit 2025

1. Global Investments in AI: President Macron announced a €109 billion investment to enhance France's AI infrastructure, aiming to position Europe as a competitive force against the US and China in the AI sector. The EU unveiled the "InvestAI initiative," allocating €200 billion to develop AI capabilities, including €50 billion in new investments. This effort seeks to establish gigafactories for AI model training within the EU.

2. Launch of 'Current AI' Foundation: A collaborative effort by nine countries—including France, Germany, and India—led to the creation of "Current AI," a foundation endowed with $400 million. Its mission is to support the development of AI public goods, such as high-quality datasets and open-source tools, promoting ethical and accessible AI solutions.

3. Divergence in AI Governance Approaches: Both countries declined to sign the "Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and the Planet," expressing concerns that stringent regulations might impede innovation. In contrast, European leaders emphasised the importance of ethical AI development, with commitments to streamline regulations to foster innovation while ensuring safety and inclusivity.

4. Emphasis on Sustainable and Ethical AI: Discussions highlighted the environmental impact of AI technologies, advocating for sustainable practices in AI development. The newly formed Coalition for Sustainable AI, supported by multiple countries and organizations, aims to address these challenges.

5. Technological Advancements and Industry Commitments: OpenAI announced plans to establish a Paris office, reflecting France's growing significance in the AI landscape. CEO Sundar Pichai described AI as the most significant shift of our lifetimes and detailed Google's plans to invest $75 billion in AI developments this year.

India's AI footprint

India is actively shaping global AI governance through ethical policies, public-private partnerships, and research initiatives. Below are some of India's key AI initiatives:

1. Ethical AI frameworks: India aligns its AI policies with UNESCO’s Global Recommendation on AI Ethics. It prioritises transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in AI governance.

2. AI mission and digital public infrastructure: The INDIAai Mission promotes indigenous AI development, governance tools, and self-assessment guidelines for responsible AI use. India’s public digital infrastructure (DPI) model, which includes Aadhaar, UPI, and AI-driven platforms, is an example of scalable, low-cost AI solutions for emerging economies.

3. Global collaboration for AI development: India is engaging in AI research partnerships with international organisations, tech giants (Google, Microsoft, IBM, NVIDIA), and academic institutions (IITs, IISc). India supports a "pro-innovation" approach to AI regulation, aiming to unlock AI’s full potential while mitigating risks.

4. Addressing AI risks: India is developing AI governance guidelines to enhance accountability and reduce misinformation. The AI Risk Assessment Mechanism (AI RAM) helps assess AI risks across various sectors.

5. AI for job creation and workforce development: AI will contribute $500 billion to India's GDP by 2025, creating over 1 million AI-driven jobs. Government-backed AI training programs and partnerships with tech companies will equip professionals with AI and machine learning skills.

Key highlights of PM Modi's speech at the Paris AI Summit 2025

“AI is writing the code for humanity in this century” – PM Modi 

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionising industries—from healthcare to finance, from education to security. But AI’s immense power also comes with challenges, particularly bias in training data.

To illustrate, PM Modi shared a simple yet thought-provoking experiment: “An AI app can simplify medical reports but might fail at accurately depicting a left-handed writer due to biased training data.”

This highlights a critical gap—AI reflects the data it is trained on, and without diverse representation, biases persist. Addressing this requires global cooperation, open datasets, and ethical AI frameworks.

As AI adoption accelerates, regulation must balance risk with innovation. PM Modi called for a governance model that is:

• Inclusive – Addressing the needs of the Global South, where access to compute power, talent, and funding is limited.
• Transparent – Developing open-source systems and quality datasets to eliminate bias.
• Trustworthy – Tackling concerns around cybersecurity, disinformation, and deepfakes.

“We must create a governance model that ensures AI is for good, for all, and for the future.” – PM Modi

This aligns with India’s leadership at the G20 Presidency, where it spearheaded a consensus on “Harnessing AI Responsibly, for Good, and for All.”

“AI models must be efficient in size, data needs, and resource requirements. After all, the human brain designs space missions using less power than most lightbulbs.” – PM Modi

With AI’s computational demands skyrocketing, sustainability has become a pressing issue. PM Modi emphasised that Sustainable AI is not just about green energy—it must also focus on:

• Optimised AI models that require less compute power
• Ethical data usage to prevent unnecessary resource strain
• Decentralised AI infrastructure to empower startups and researchers

“History has shown that work does not disappear due to technology. Its nature changes, and new types of jobs are created.” – PM Modi

One of AI’s biggest concerns is job displacement. However, it also creates new opportunities, requiring urgent investment in skilling and re-skilling.

PM Modi announced that India will host the next AI Summit, reinforcing the country's commitment to AI leadership and inclusive AI innovation.

“To build on the momentum of this Action Summit, India would be happy to host the next Summit.” – PM Modi

AI’s role in India’s digital future

The conversations that unfolded at the AI Action Summit are paramount as we navigate the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. India stands at a pivotal crossroads, with the potential to assume a leading role in shaping a global consensus on AI governance. By championing policies that emphasise ethical principles and prioritise the well-being of all humanity, India can play a crucial part in ensuring that AI technologies are developed and utilised responsibly.

During the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, where they discussed the “incredible opportunities” AI will bring to India and how Google can contribute to the country’s digital transformation. Pichai shared his excitement about collaborating with India on AI innovation, digital inclusion, and emerging technologies that will enhance accessibility, governance, and economic growth.

Modi reiterated India’s commitment to ensuring AI is rooted in the local ecosystem to maximise its effectiveness and usability. He also emphasised the importance of an open-source AI framework that fosters trust, transparency, and inclusivity while mitigating biases.

India’s AI-driven policies and initiatives—such as the National AI Mission, Digital Public Infrastructure, and AI skilling programs—are equipping millions with future-ready capabilities. The meeting between PM Modi and Sundar Pichai further reinforced India’s global standing as a hub for AI innovation and public-private partnerships aimed at driving ethical and sustainable AI development.

As Modi aptly stated at the summit, “We are at the dawn of the AI age that will shape the course of humanity.” 

With its strong talent pool, expanding digital infrastructure, and strategic collaborations, India is positioned to lead in AI governance and innovation, ensuring AI’s benefits reach all sections of society.