Late in January, Nairobi became a focal point for an important global conversation on the future of artificial intelligence.
When we convened the “AI for Impact Global South Forum” on January 30, 2026, in Nairobi, together with the Office of the Special Envoy on Technology of the Government of Kenya, Wadhwani AI, Qhala and Microsoft, our objective was simple.
To move the global AI conversation closer to the realities of our societies. The dialogue brought together Kenyan policymakers, technology leaders and development partners to reflect on how artificial intelligence (AI) can strengthen public systems, expand opportunity, and accelerate development outcomes across the Global South.
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That conversation was not an isolated event. It was a prelude to the India AI Impact Summit 2026, to be held in New Delhi from 16-20 February, which I believe will mark an inflection point in how the world approaches AI governance, deployment and cooperation.
For much of the last decade, global AI discussions have been dominated by advanced economies, with understandable emphasis on safety, frontier risks and regulatory frameworks. The first global AI Safety Summit in 2023, for instance, saw participation from fewer than 30 governments, with only limited African representation.
While subsequent summits broadened participation, the core discourse remained centered on risk frameworks rather than development outcomes. Yet for much of the Global South, the most urgent question is not whether AI will reshape our societies, but how we will ensure it does so in ways that are inclusive, equitable and development-oriented.
It is precisely this shift that the India AI Impact Summit seeks to drive. Hosted in the Global South for the first time, the Summit is anchored in three foundational principles: People, Progress and Purpose and structured around seven thematic pillars linking AI directly to development priorities such as healthcare, agriculture, education, sustainability, governance and inclusion. The focus is not on AI as an abstract technological frontier but as a practical development multiplier.
India’s own AI ecosystem demonstrates why this approach is credible. India is now ranked third globally in AI competitiveness according to Stanford University’s Global AI Vibrancy Tool 2025. This progress is underpinned by sustained public investment and digital public infrastructure.
The Government of India has approved more than USD 1.25 billion under the IndiaAI Mission to build national AI compute, data, research and talent ecosystems. As part of this effort, India has onboarded more than 38,000 GPUs to expand national AI compute capacity, enabling startups, universities and public institutions to train and deploy advanced models domestically.
Equally significant is the focus on democratising access to data and models. Through the AIKosh platform, India has already made available more than 5,500 datasets and 251 AI models for researchers, startups and public sector use. This kind of open, public digital infrastructure is essential if AI is to move beyond isolated pilots and into population-scale public service delivery, a challenge that many developing countries are actively confronting.
The Summit’s global footprint is notable. Participation is expected from more than 100 countries, including representation from over 40 African nations, the largest African presence at any global AI summit to date. Kenya will play a particularly prominent role.
The Kenyan delegation will be led by Cabinet Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy William Kabogo, alongside senior government leadership and almost 150 Kenyan participants drawn from government, startups, academia, civil society and industry. This depth of participation reflects Kenya’s growing role as a thought partner in shaping development-oriented AI globally.
What, in my view, truly distinguishes the India AI Impact Summit from previous global AI gatherings is its emphasis on implementation, institution-building and Global South ownership of AI pathways. Alongside high-level policy dialogues, the Summit will host global innovation challenges for youth and women leaders, a large-scale AI Impact Expo showcasing deployable solutions, and applied research tracks focused on real-world use cases across health, climate, agriculture and governance.
Importantly, the Summit will also host dedicated Global South collaboration platforms. The ‘Africa AI Village’ will showcase over 20 African AI innovations across priority development sectors, demonstrating clearly that Africa is not merely a technology market, but an innovation contributor and co-creator.
I am particularly encouraged that these South-South collaboration platforms are being shaped with strong Kenyan participation. Qhala, a Kenyan AI company, is playing a leadership role alongside global partners, underscoring Kenya’s emergence as a key voice in shaping Global South AI cooperation.
Taken together, these platforms signal a shift in global AI governance. The conversation is moving from principles to platforms, from pilots to systems, and from isolated national strategies to collaborative Global South frameworks capable of delivering at scale.
For Kenya, engagement in the Summit is not simply participation in a global conference. It is an opportunity to shape the rules, standards and partnerships that will define how AI is deployed in sectors critical to development, from public health and agriculture to education, financial inclusion and climate resilience.
From Nairobi to New Delhi, a new geography of AI cooperation is taking shape – one in which Africa and Asia are not at the margins of technological transformation, but at its centre. The future of AI will not be defined only by the most advanced laboratories or the largest technology companies. It will be defined by how effectively it improves the everyday lives of billions of people across the Global South.
And in that journey, Kenya and India will continue to work together, not only as technology partners, but as co-architects of an inclusive, responsible and development-driven AI future.
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By Adarsh Swaika