Global AI Governance: 88 Nations Sign New Delhi Declaration at Impact Summit

The signing of the New Delhi Declaration on AI by 88 countries represents a watershed moment in the global effort to regulate artificial intelligence. Hosted in India's capital, the India AI Impact Summit has successfully coalesced a diverse group of nations—spanning developed economies and the Global South—around a unified set of principles. This declaration moves beyond the high-level abstractions of previous summits, focusing specifically on the impact of AI on labor markets, sovereign data rights, and the democratization of compute resources. By securing nearly 90 signatories, India has positioned itself as a primary mediator in the fragmented landscape of global AI policy.

This development follows a series of regional and international attempts to codify AI ethics, most notably the EU AI Act and the Bletchley Declaration. However, the New Delhi Declaration distinguishes itself by emphasizing AI for All, a mantra championed by the Indian government. While Western frameworks often prioritize risk mitigation and existential safety, the New Delhi framework leans heavily into the socio-economic benefits of AI, advocating for open-source models and the prevention of digital colonialism. This shift reflects a growing consensus among emerging economies that AI governance must not become a barrier to technological advancement or economic catch-up.

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Hosted in India's capital, the India AI Impact Summit has successfully coalesced a diverse group of nations—spanning developed economies and the Global South—around a unified set of principles.

Central to the agreement are provisions for cross-border collaboration in AI research and the establishment of Sovereign AI stacks. The declaration outlines a commitment to transparency in algorithmic decision-making and the protection of intellectual property in the age of generative models. Furthermore, it addresses the urgent need for a global talent pipeline, proposing exchange programs that allow smaller nations to leverage the expertise of AI superpowers. The inclusion of international organizations in the signing indicates that these principles are intended to integrate with existing UN-led initiatives, such as the Global Digital Compact.

For the private sector, the New Delhi Declaration signals a move toward standardized compliance across a massive geographic footprint. Companies operating in these 88 nations may soon face harmonized reporting requirements regarding data usage and model bias. While this could increase the regulatory burden for startups, it offers a more predictable legal environment for multinational tech giants. Investors are likely to view this as a stabilizing force, reducing the patchwork of regulations that has historically hindered global scaling. However, the true test will lie in the enforcement mechanisms—or lack thereof—within the declaration, as it remains a non-binding framework.

Looking ahead, the New Delhi Declaration is expected to serve as the blueprint for future bilateral trade agreements involving AI technologies. We should watch for the formation of a permanent secretariat or a monitoring body to oversee the implementation of these principles. As the AI divide between the compute-rich and compute-poor continues to widen, the success of this declaration will be measured by how effectively it facilitates technology transfer. The summit's outcome suggests that the center of gravity for AI policy is shifting, with India emerging as a critical bridge between the regulatory philosophies of the West and the developmental needs of the East.