AI Impact Summit overlooks systemic governance failures enabling authoritarian tech use in India
Original framing: “Global/India: AI Impact Summit failed to reign in destructive practices of governments and technology companies” — Amnesty International
The voices of Dalits, tribal communities, and other marginalized groups in India were largely absent from the AI Impact Summit. These communities are most affected by AI-driven surveillance and discrimination, yet they have no meaningful role in shaping the policies that govern AI use.
The AI Impact Summit in New Delhi failed to address the systemic issues enabling authoritarian AI use in India, including the role of global tech firms, historical patterns of governance, and the marginalization of indigenous and local voices.
The summit’s focus on voluntary commitments and industry-led narratives obscured the deeper structural forces driving AI deployment. To move forward, AI governance must be reimagined through participatory, culturally inclusive, and scientifically rigorous models that prioritize justice and equity. This requires not only policy reform but also a fundamental shift in how power, knowledge, and technology are understood and distributed in the digital age.