AI Impact Summit to be held at Bharat Mandapam during Feb 19–20

THe AI wallop breast, which republic of india testament innkeeper next year, is scheduled for February 19–20 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The two-day event is expected to draw heads of State and top executives from major technology companies, with names like Sam Altman and Sundar Pichai on the list. However, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is not expected to attend, HT has learnt, with the company likely to be represented by its chief technology officer instead.“Just as the Paris summit was called the AI Action Summit, the India edition is being branded the AI Impact Summit, signalling a shift from ‘action’ to ‘impact,’” said a person aware of the preparations at the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY). “The idea is to acknowledge the impact AI has had over the past decade, draw lessons from it, and then outline the action points for the year ahead.”The person cited above also explained the symbolism of the AI Summit logo, which centres on the overarching theme of People, Planet, Progress - the three “sutras.” In the design, the globe represents the Planet, an orange curve at the upper right signifies People, and a green curve below it denotes Progress.Encircling the globe on the left are seven green dots, symbolising the Summit’s smaller themes, or “Chakras,” namely Human Capital, Inclusion, Safe and Trusted AI, Resilience, Science, Democratising AI Resources, and Social Good. These Chakras are further ringed by 14 orange dots, representing the 14 official events to be organised by the government in India. Held in the run-up to the Summit and based on the seven smaller themes, these 14 events will shape the joint declaration that participating heads of state will sign.“The India AI Mission plans to invite a select group of domestic and international participants to discuss the seven themes in 14 sittings, similar to the format used at the G20 Summit, and identify elements that could be incorporated into the declaration. It will be a townhall setting and rules,” the person said.Besides this, the government has said it is open to proposals from anyone wishing to contribute to the conversation around AI, inviting them to bring their topics under the Summit’s umbrella. In the lead-up to the event, it plans to host 250 pre-events across locations in India and abroad and has issued a call for proposals on the AI Summit website.Organisers of these pre-events can hold panel discussions, submit reports on their deliberations, and suggest inputs for inclusion in the Summit’s joint declaration, subject to government review. Approved proposals can receive up to ₹2,00,000 for domestic events and ₹5,00,000 for international ones, with funds disbursed only after the event’s completion and submission of required reports and invoices.“The government will enable the hosting of these side-events across the country under the umbrella of the seven themes and enable citizen participation across the country. We don't want it to become a Delhi thing,” said the person quoted above. “We are hoping these 250 meetings are enabled by private entities, NGOs, academicians, and individuals."India will revise the previous declaration from France, aligning it with the current themes and incorporating inputs from the 14 meetings as well as public contributions, added the person aware of the matter.What will the two days - February 19 and 20 - look like? The Summit will feature not only government participation but also active involvement from the private sector and citizens, with all three components woven into the programme. Leaders will convene in the summit hall to negotiate and finalise the joint declaration, while also holding multilateral and bilateral meetings on-site.Citizen engagement will take place through a large-scale expo showcasing the impact of AI, featuring not just Indian tech players but also participants from across the Global South. The expo will showcase not only large language models (LLMs) but also small language models (SLMs) and sector-specific AI solutions, allowing visitors to discover innovations from other countries and consider their applicability at home. The Summit will also host research symposiums highlighting the latest advancements in the field.It remains unclear which country will host the next AI Summit, though several nations, including Switzerland, have expressed interest.