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India and France have reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that global norms governing artificial intelligence (AI) reflect democratic values and contribute to human development. The pledge was made through a joint declaration signed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, highlighting their shared vision for AI governance.
According to the statement, both nations emphasized the need for safe, secure, and trustworthy AI systems to accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They urged the international community to foster cooperation in AI capacity-building while ensuring that global AI governance aligns with international law, human rights, and fundamental freedoms.
Building on the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding on digital technology cooperation, India and France expressed their intent to actively participate in AI advancements. In preparation for the India-France Year of Innovation in 2026, the two countries committed to leveraging AI for economic growth while minimizing risks associated with bias, misinformation, and inequality.
The declaration underscored the necessity of developing AI frameworks that respect privacy, intellectual property rights, and personal data protection. It also stressed the importance of decentralization, open resources, and inclusive AI solutions to prevent the concentration of AI capabilities among a few entities.
Both nations also agreed to focus on AI applications in crucial areas such as global health, sustainable agriculture, climate change mitigation, disaster management, and biodiversity protection. They pledged to support generative AI that promotes linguistic and cultural diversity while ensuring transparent regulations for AI deployment.
Furthermore, India and France aim to enhance bilateral industrial partnerships in electronic components and computing capacities, deepen research collaborations on AI’s social impact, and encourage civil society participation in AI development. The two countries will also strengthen cooperation on child safety online and digital public infrastructure initiatives, reinforcing their shared commitment to ethical AI deployment.
This collaboration aligns with the upcoming AI Action Summit, co-chaired by France and India in Paris in February 2025, where both nations will further discuss governance frameworks for a safe, open, and responsible AI ecosystem.
(With ANI Inputs)
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