NEW DELHI: Prime minister Narendra Modi has described a future where humans and artificial intelligence exist in a partnership of “co-creation and co-working.” Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, the prime minister framed AI as a tool to enhance human capability rather than a replacement for the workforce.
Modi framed AI as a force that can make workers smarter, more efficient and more impactful rather than replace them altogether. The future of work, he said, will depend less on what machines can do and more on how humans choose to use them.
Calling AI a transformative power, Modi warned that technology without direction risks becoming disruption. Guided responsibly, however, it could unlock solutions at scale for humanity. Drawing parallels with the dotcom boom, he noted that few had predicted the surge in job creation that followed the rise of the internet. AI, he suggested, now stands at a similar crossroads.
Modi compared the moment to nuclear energy, a technology capable of both progress and peril, arguing that the real test lies in present-day choices. While earlier technological revolutions took decades to reshape economies, AI is compressing change into years, even months.
He stressed that skilling, reskilling and lifelong learning must become a mass movement if workers are to stay ahead of the curve. The goal, he added, is to build a future of work that is trusted, inclusive and centred on human welfare.
Outlining India’s M.A.N.A.V. vision for AI, which stands for Moral and Ethical Systems, Accountable Governance, National Sovereignty, Accessible and Inclusive, and Valid and Legitimate, Modi said India aims to anchor AI development in responsibility as much as innovation.
The prime minister also called for global standards to tackle risks such as deepfakes and fabricated content, suggesting authenticity labels for digital material much like nutrition labels on food. Watermarking and clear source standards, he said, will be key to building trust as AI-generated content becomes more widespread.
Positioning India at the centre of global AI conversations, Modi said the country’s tech talent, data infrastructure and startup ecosystem make it a natural hub for affordable and scalable AI solutions. Any AI model that works in India’s diversity, demography and democracy, he added, could work anywhere in the world.
His closing pitch was simple. Design and develop in India, then deliver to the world and to humanity.
