In a joint declaration issued on Saturday following an artificial intelligence summit in India, dozens of countries, including the United States and China, called for the development of “safe, robust and reliable” artificial intelligence, without the text of the statement including legally binding pledges. This comes amidst a discrepancy between international proposals to control technology and an American rejection of any global management of it.
Published on: 02/21/2026 - 15:31
Dozens of countries, including the United States and China, called for work on developing “safe, robust and reliable” artificial intelligence, according to a joint declaration issued on Saturday, at the conclusion of an artificial intelligence summit hosted by India.
“Promoting safe, robust and reliable artificial intelligence is essential to establishing trust and providing the greatest social and economic benefits,” said the statement, signed by 86 countries and two international organizations.
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The text does not contain any concrete binding commitments, but gives priority to a series of voluntary and non-binding initiatives, in particular to share research capabilities in the field of artificial intelligence at the international level.
The announcement, issued after a five-day summit, added: “We believe that the capabilities of artificial intelligence will only be fully realized when all of humanity shares its benefits,” describing the emergence of this technology as “a turning point in the path of technological development.”
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Informatics researcher Stuart Russell told Agence France-Presse, commenting on the statement, “The pledges announced are not completely unimportant. What is simply important is that there be pledges.”
Read also: The White House advisor announces Washington’s “categorical” rejection of global governance of artificial intelligence
Russell added: “I hope that all countries will build on these agreements to formulate binding legal obligations aimed at protecting their populations, so that the development and deployment of artificial intelligence continues without unacceptable risks.”
A global summit and speech by leaders of countries and technology companies
Dozens of delegations from around the world gathered in the Indian capital this week to discuss how to frame this rapidly developing technology.
During the summit, which began on Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke, as well as the most prominent heads of technology companies, including Sam Altman, president of OpenAI.
Highlights include the societal benefits of multilingual translation via artificial intelligence, the threats to jobs, and the problem of energy consumption in data centers.
Controversies over the governance of artificial intelligence globally
During the discussions, two different approaches to managing the development of artificial intelligence emerged. Guterres announced the formation of a scientific committee aimed at making human control of artificial intelligence a “technical reality,” within the framework of an “independent international scientific committee” similar to the government’s climate authority.
On the other hand, the United States on Friday “completely” rejected any global management of artificial intelligence, according to White House Science and Technology Advisor Michael Kratsios, who confirmed that Washington “completely rejects” centralized global governance of this technology.
During the 2025 edition in Paris, the United States refrained from signing the final declaration of the summit.
It is noteworthy that Sam Altman, president of OpenAI, announced Thursday that this technology urgently needs regulation.
France 24/AFP
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