Kamal Ghorui
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan during his visit to India for the AI Impact Summit 2026, with discussions spanning artificial intelligence governance, multilateral reform, and the role of the Global South in global decision-making.Guterres arrived in the national capital to participate in the Global AI Impact Summit 2026, where he called for harnessing artificial intelligence for the global good while mitigating its risks. Following the meeting, he also shared about India’s clean energy initiatives on his X.
“India is proving it’s possible to expand clean energy access and grow industry at the same time,” he wrote. “Together, let’s turn climate necessity into development opportunity & make the clean energy transition fair & faster for people & planet.”President Droupadi Murmu also shared about her interaction with the UN secretary general from her official X account.She wrote, “Secretary General of the United Nations Mr António Guterres called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President thanked Secretary General Guterres for his participation in the AI Impact Summit and welcomed his initiative to create a global scientific panel on AI to serve all of humanity.Addressing the summit, he stressed that the rapid pace of AI innovation demands science-led governance and stronger international cooperation.“We are barrelling into the unknown. AI innovation is moving at the speed of light, outpacing our collective ability to fully understand it. If we want AI to serve humanity, policy cannot be built on guesswork. It cannot be built on hype or disinformation. We need facts we can trust and share across countries and across sectors. Less noise, more knowledge,” he said.Guterres underscored that science-based governance could act as an accelerator for solutions, making technological progress safer, fairer, and more inclusive. He urged countries to prepare, protect, and invest in people, noting that international cooperation is currently strained by declining trust and rising technological rivalry.During his visit, Guterres also highlighted India’s initiatives to expand clean energy access and appreciated the country’s leadership in convening the AI Impact Summit, as well as its longstanding collaboration with the United Nations across sectors.At Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Murmu welcomed Guterres’ proposal to establish a global scientific panel on artificial intelligence to serve all of humanity, according to an official release. She reaffirmed India’s commitment to multilateralism at a time when global uncertainties are placing the system under strain.The President observed that multilateral institutions, particularly the United Nations Security Council, must undergo urgent reform to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities. She stressed that the existing framework of the Security Council is outdated and that the Global South must be given a greater voice in global decision-making. Reform, she said, is key to preserving the relevance and effectiveness of the United Nations.While acknowledging that the UN-80 initiative offers a useful platform for reform, President Murmu emphasised that any restructuring exercise must safeguard the developmental priorities of the Global South.She concluded the meeting by extending her good wishes to Guterres for the remainder of his tenure and reiterating India’s full support for multilateralism and international cooperation.
