United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made headlines by attending the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where he met President Droupadi Murmu at the President’s residence on Friday. The encounter blended AI innovation discussions with calls for revamping global institutions.
Guterres appreciated India’s stewardship in convening the summit and the deep-rooted UN-India cooperation spanning multiple fields. The event positions India as a leader in ethical AI advancement.
President Murmu hailed Guterres’ push for an international AI scientific body focused on benefiting humankind. In remarks shared by the President’s office, she warned of multilateralism’s vulnerabilities in an era of uncertainty, compounded by diminishing global trust.
A strong proponent of change, Murmu urged updates to the UN Security Council’s archaic structure to mirror current geopolitical dynamics and empower the Global South’s role in key decisions. She described such reforms as critical to upholding the UN’s stature and influence.
The ‘UN-80’ initiative offers a promising avenue for progress, yet Murmu emphasized prioritizing the developmental needs of the Global South in all restructuring endeavors. She conveyed her best regards to Guterres for his remaining term and India’s solid backing for multilateral ideals.
Just a day earlier, Guterres and Prime Minister Modi conversed on democratizing AI, brainstorming the UN’s facilitative role in making this technology universally beneficial.