Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled what he called India’s “MANAV Vision for AI”, setting out a human-centric framework for the development and governance of artificial intelligence at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.“Today at the New Delhi AI Impact Summit, I present the MANAV Vision for AI. MANAV means human,” he said. “M- moral and ethical systems: AI should be based on ethical guidance. A- accountable governance means transparent rules, robust oversight; N- national sovereignty means whose data, his right. A- accessible and inclusive means AI should be a multiplier, not a monopoly. V- valid and legitimate means AI should be lawful and verifiable.”He added that the vision would serve as “an important link for the welfare of humanity in the AI-based world of the 21st century”.
Calling for international cooperation, PM Modi said, “…Let us pledge to develop AI as a global common good. A crucial need today is to establish global standards. Deepfakes and fabricated content are destabilising the open society…”He argued that trust must be built into technology from the outset. “In the digital world, content should also have authenticity labels so people know what’s real and what’s created with AI. As AI creates more text, images, and video, the industry increasingly needs watermarking and clear-source standards. Therefore, it’s crucial that this trust is built into the technology from the start.”The Prime Minister warned against reducing individuals to mere data. “For AI, humans are just data points. To ensure that humans are not reduced to mere raw material, AI must be democratised. It must be made a medium for inclusion and empowerment, especially in the Global South.”Using a metaphor, he said: “We must give AI an open sky and also keep the command in our hands, like GPS. GPS shows us the way, but the final call on which direction we should go is ours.”He described AI as “a transformative power”, adding: “If directionless, it becomes a disruption; if the right direction is found, it becomes a solution. How to make AI from machine-centric to human-centric… this is the basic objective of this Global AI Impact Summit. Welfare of all, the happiness of all. This is our benchmark.”
