Global technology leaders and policymakers convened in New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026, held at Bharat Mandapam and concluding on Friday. The five-day event, the first major AI summit hosted in the Global South, drew executives from Google, Nvidia, and Anthropic, alongside representatives from nearly 100 countries. Discussions centered on AI's transformative potential for jobs, revealing sharp divides between cautionary forecasts and optimistic visions.

Warnings of Job Losses

Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak delivered a sobering keynote, stating that "AI is going to change the labour market. Some jobs will go," particularly those involving repetitive tasks. He highlighted anxieties in Western nations and urged governments to prioritize reskilling programs, education reforms, and robust social safety nets to ease the transition for affected workers. Sunak's remarks echoed broader concerns about automation displacing routine roles across sectors.

Optimism and Adaptation

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman offered a counterpoint, acknowledging AI's impact on jobs but expressing faith in human ingenuity during his first major India appearance in nearly a year. "We always find new things to do, and I have no doubt we will find lots of better ones this time," he told ANI, praising India's leadership in global AI adoption. Altman emphasized adaptability as key to navigating technological shifts.

Industry's Bold Commitments

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani took a resolutely positive stance, asserting that his companies would "prove that AI will not take away jobs" but instead "create new high-skill work opportunities." He unveiled a massive Rs 10 lakh crore investment over seven years to develop India's AI infrastructure, terming it "patient, disciplined nation-building capital." Ambani focused on reducing compute costs and building sovereign data centers through Jio Intelligence, aiming for affordable, reliable AI services without "renting intelligence.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi reinforced this upbeat outlook, describing AI as a "force multiplier" for India's economy where "humans and intelligent systems co-create, co-work, and co-evolve." He launched the MANAV Vision framework, prioritizing moral AI systems, accountable governance, national data sovereignty, accessible tools, and ethical innovation. Modi's vision positions India as a global AI leader balancing growth with responsibility.

Calls for Global Equity

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres raised alarms about uneven AI development, insisting the technology's trajectory "cannot be decided by a handful of countries or left to the whims of a few billionaires." He proposed a $3 billion global fund to bolster AI capacity in developing nations through skills training, data infrastructure, and affordable computing. Guterres' plea underscored the summit's theme of inclusive governance amid rapid AI advances.

The summit highlighted an urgent consensus: while AI will reshape employment—potentially automating some roles—it also promises productivity gains and novel opportunities, especially in India's burgeoning tech ecosystem. With investments like Ambani's and frameworks like MANAV, India aims to lead this evolution, though success hinges on proactive workforce preparation.