US Rejects UN Global AI Governance at New Delhi Summit

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, the United States explicitly rejected the creation of a centralized global regulatory framework for artificial intelligence. While UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced the launch of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI—a 40-member body confirmed by the General Assembly to implement science-led governance—the U.S. delegation argued that such bureaucracies would hinder innovation.

Led by Michael Kratsios, the U.S. promoted a strategy of AI sovereignty. This approach urges partner nations to adopt American technology as the gold standard while maintaining strategic autonomy and local data control. To facilitate this, the Trump administration launched the American AI Exports Program, which includes the National Champions Initiative to integrate foreign firms into U.S. export stacks, a US Tech Corps of volunteer experts, and new financial support via the World Bank and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for AI to be used for the global common good as India seeks $200 billion in investments to compete with the U.S. and China. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned that concentrating the technology within a single company or country could lead to ruin. Despite the U.S. opposition to the UN panel, the United States signed a bilateral innovation agreement with India to foster entrepreneurship.