India’s PM Modi Calls for Global AI Standards to Safeguard Digital Trust

Addis Ababa, February 22, 2026 (ENA)—Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged nations to unite in setting shared standards for watermarking and source verification to safeguard trust in the digital age, emphasizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) must evolve as a global common good. 

Addressing the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, the Prime Minister emphasized that the rapid spread of disinformation and deepfakes demands collective global action to protect authenticity in digital content.

 "Trust is the foundation upon which the future of AI rests," Modi said, stressing that digital content should carry clear authenticity labels just as food products display nutritional information.

 India has already mandated the labeling of synthetically generated content and urged the international community to adopt similar standards to strengthen transparency and accountability, he noted.

 The Prime Minister further underlined the need to design AI systems with safeguards that promote responsible engagement, particularly for younger generations.

 "The welfare of our children is a matter close to our hearts," he stated, emphasizing that technological advancement must go hand in hand with ethical responsibility.

 Calling for open technology platforms, Modi argued that innovation delivers the greatest benefit when knowledge is shared rather than guarded as a strategic asset.

 "This collective intelligence is humanity’s greatest strength," he said, envisioning a future where humans and intelligent systems collaborate to create new professions, much as the internet reshaped the global economy.

 Highlighting India’s demographic advantage, PM Modi expressed confidence in the country’s youth to lead the AI era.

 He cited ongoing government programs focused on skilling, reskilling and lifelong learning to prepare the workforce for emerging technologies.

 With one of the world’s largest youth populations and a strong technology talent base, he said that India is well positioned to harness the transformative power of AI.

 The summit drew participants from more than 100 countries, bringing together innovators who showcased advanced AI products and services.

 The premier described the gathering as a turning point in India’s development and the beginning of a broad-based movement for AI innovation and adoption.

Drawing comparisons to historic technological breakthroughs, he noted that AI stands alongside fire, writing, electricity and the internet in its transformative potential.

"AI is not just making machines intelligent; it's a force multiplier for human intent," he stressed.

 Pointing to practical applications, Modi highlighted Sarlaben, an AI-powered digital assistant developed by the dairy cooperative AMUL that supports millions of farmers, and Bharat VISTAAR, a multilingual platform that provides vital information to agricultural communities.

 He concluded by affirming that humans must never be reduced to mere data points, insisting that AI should expand opportunity and inclusion, particularly across the Global South.

 India, he said, introduced the MANAV framework for human-centric AI governance at the summit to advance a vision of AI as a tool for global good.