New Delhi: Backed by a large talent pool and strong public digital infrastructure, India is well-positioned to be a leader in artificial intelligence and demonstrate its widespread adoption and dissemination in society, former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday.
In an interactive session at the AI Impact Summit here, Sunak also said there are different attitudes towards AI across the world, and in India, there is “incredible optimism and confidence”, while in the West, “the prevailing feeling is anxiety at the moment”.
The session titled “AI for All: Reimagining Global Collaboration” was hosted by Carnegie India in collaboration with Observer Research Foundation, among other partners.
During the interaction, Sunak was asked about lessons learned from the AI Safety Summit, a global event held in November 2023 in Buckinghamshire in the UK, during his time as Prime Minister.
“First of all, there were doubts about whether you could bring these politicians and leaders and all the business people and innovators together, and whether they would understand each other,” Sunak recalls.
Sunak said the nice thing that came out of the summit was the establishment of “AI security institutes” to help manage some of the risks posed by the technology, to reassure people about it.
The Indian-origin politician emphasized that the debate has changed over the years when it comes to artificial intelligence.
“I think the debate around AI has shifted from technology to strategy,” Sunak said. “From what these tools can do to what countries choose to do with them.”
He stressed that for political leaders, “AI cannot be a niche topic on the side,” but must become the “central responsibility” of the government.
“And that is what we are seeing at this summit, with the right focus on impact,” Sunak said. India is hosting the AI Impact Summit 2026 from February 16 to 20 here, in which a large number of world leaders, technology experts and innovators will participate.
Sunak said that when he left office, someone gave him a copy of the book “Technology and the Great Powers,” which examines the history of major technological revolutions and proves the thesis that even if you do not invent a technology, you can be the country that benefits most from it, extending all the way back to the printing press.
“I think India has realized that technology leadership is not just about inventing technology, it is about how we deploy it,” he said.
“So, by focusing on mass adoption here, clearly supported by a large talent pool, strong digital public infrastructure, and a public that is very supportive of the technology, I believe India is well placed to be a leader in AI and demonstrate its widespread adoption and dissemination in society,” Sunak said.
Noting that this was now being reflected in how others viewed it, Sunak said: “If you look at the Stanford rankings of global superpowers, India has moved to third place.”
In the Stanford Global AI Vibrancy 2025 report, India ranked third in terms of AI competitiveness and ecosystem vitality.
For India, it shows that the focus on adoption and diffusion is working here, Sunak said, “and I certainly think that’s how we’ll have the greatest impact on the greatest number of people.”
He also said that there are different attitudes towards AI around the world. He added: “In India, there is incredible optimism and confidence, while in the West, the prevailing feeling is actually anxiety at the moment… Closing this confidence gap is a political task, not just technology.”
Sunak stressed that this “battle for trust in AI” will be won or lost by the public sector.
“As citizens begin to experience better healthcare, efficient government services, and faster response time from the state, this debate about trust in AI moves from abstract to real,” he said.
Urging policymakers and leaders to focus on this aspect, Sunak said: “If you can embrace this in your public sectors, which ultimately represent a large part of our economies, and demonstrate to citizens that it will make their lives better on a daily basis, I think it becomes a necessary precondition for gaining people’s trust and actually starting to get its benefits.”
The event, hosted by a luxury hotel in Delhi, was attended by AI experts, policy makers, technology industry representatives, university students and scientists.
Sunak said the most powerful thing about artificial intelligence is that it is “uplifting”.
“For me, it’s not just about raising the ceiling, but also raising the floor,” he added.
He said the world is on the “cusp of a moment” where better education and healthcare can be provided to people using artificial intelligence.
“The other aspect is the anxiety that many in the West feel, and a lot of it has to do with jobs. I think we have to be clear that AI will change the job market. Some jobs will disappear. Many others will be redesigned,” he stressed.
However, he said the government’s role “is not to stop innovation”, but rather to support people to take on these new tasks and new roles “with confidence and security”.
Sunak said he also wants to make sure his two daughters are “equipped to succeed in the world of artificial intelligence.”
“Artificial intelligence will have a huge amount of knowledge, but we must never forget that knowledge is not the same as wisdom,” he said, adding, “As long as we remember, we will be in good shape to face the future.”
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