The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is calling for artificial intelligence to be treated as a public good rather than a proprietary product of private tech giants. He argues that technology delivers its greatest benefit when it is shared and not hoarded as a strategic asset.
Modi believes that open platforms can help make AI safer and more user‑centred. “Collective intelligence is humanity’s greatest strength” he writes, urging that AI evolve into a global commons that serves the common good and provides new avenues for progress in the global South. He stresses that humans should never be reduced to mere data points but should instead benefit from AI’s capabilities.
He also urges the creation of verification standards for AI‑generated content. With generative systems flooding the market, democratic societies face heightened risks from deepfakes and misinformation. Modi compares the need for authentication labels on digital content to nutrition facts on food, insisting that such mechanisms-watermarks and source verification-must be developed internationally. India has already taken the first step by mandating clear labeling of synthetically generated content.