"The energy here is amazing," says Columbia University Fellow David Sandalow
New Delhi, February 20
The AI Impact Summit in Delhi has drawn an extraordinary convergence of global political leaders, technology executives, and policy experts, underscoring India's growing ambitions in artificial intelligence.
David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow, Center On Global Energy Policy, School of International & Public Affairs, Columbia University, expressed admiration for the scale and energy of the event.
"I'm from Columbia University, and it's great to be here at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. It's just an amazing amount of activity on artificial intelligence," he said.
"I think 35,000 participants, if I read correctly, and all kinds of heads of state, including, of course, Prime Minister Modi, Macron from France, Lula, Sanchez from Spain, just an amazing gathering. And leaders from the AI industry, including Sam Altman, Dario Amede, many others. The dialogue here is fantastic," he said.
Sandalow noted that, as an American observer, he sees a clear determination by India to establish itself as a significant force in artificial intelligence.
"I'm going to let Indians speak to that topic, but what I see as an American visiting here is a commitment on the part of the Indian government to make India a player when it comes to artificial intelligence in the years ahead. For me, that's extremely interesting, and it has lots of potential because I think India can contribute to AI future for the world."
While refraining from commenting in depth on India's domestic AI strategy, he emphasized the transformative potential of AI in his own field of expertise, energy and climate policy.
"I am not enough of an India expert to really answer that question. I'm going to respect the answers from the Indian people, the Indian government, on that question. But what I work on mainly is energy and climate change, and I see tremendous opportunities in advancing energy innovation, the fight against climate change, resilience against climate change, using artificial intelligence. And that's what I've come here to talk about, and there have been many other comments in these sessions about that topic."
He concluded on an optimistic note saying, "So I'm excited to see all the dynamism, all the activity around using AI for energy and climate here at the summit."
The AI Impact summit reflects India's expanding global profile in emerging technologies, positioning the country at the centre of international conversations about artificial intelligence, innovation, and climate resilience.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While the summit is impressive, I hope this energy translates into real, ground-level innovation and jobs for Indian engineers and researchers, not just high-profile meetings. The potential is huge, but execution is key.
35,000 participants! That's the scale only India can pull off. Glad Mr. Sandalow noticed the commitment. AI in energy could solve so many of our distribution and renewable integration challenges. Jai Hind!
Visiting from the US, and I have to agree with the fellow's observation. The buzz in Delhi around tech right now is palpable. It's refreshing to see the dialogue include climate resilience so prominently.
Respect to Mr. Sandalow for being respectful and not speaking over Indian experts on domestic strategy. The collaboration mindset is what we need. Hope our IITs and startups get a major boost from this summit's outcomes.
The guest list is like a who's who of global politics and tech! Modi, Macron, Sam Altman... all in Delhi. Feels like a proud moment. Let's ensure this momentum benefits our local tech ecosystem beyond the metro cities.
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