India shows robust optimism and trust for AI unlike West: Rishi Sunak
New Delhi, Feb 18
When it comes to AI, India shows robust optimism and trust, while Western countries are anxious about the emerging technology, former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday.
Sunak cautioned that bridging this gap requires targeted governance efforts.
"I think closing that confidence gap is as much a policy task as it is a technical one," he said during a fireside chat with Meta's Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang at the ongoing 'India AI Impact Summit 2026' here.
"Across the world, we're seeing different attitudes towards AI. In countries like India, there's enormous optimism and trust, and in Western countries, we're seeing that anxiety is still the dominant feeling towards AI," he told the gathering.
Sunak further stated that India is a country with "huge digital ambitions and capacity", underscoring the extraordinary scale of recent AI investments.
This year, "the large AI companies are going to spend 20 times more on developing this technology than the US did for the Manhattan Project (to build the nuclear bomb)", the former British Prime Minister noted.
According to Wang, "we are sitting here right now at such an incredibly exciting moment for technology. I think we are at the beginning of a true acceleration".
He hailed India's rise in the global AI ecosystem, calling it "a very positive case study".
"There are now more consumer AI startups in India than in the United States," he noted.
Wang said that AI is entering a new paradigm.
"We've really begun an entirely new paradigm -- the era of recursive self-improvement," he said, adding that productivity has grown dramatically.
AL models are now themselves are increasingly accelerating the development of subsequent AI systems.
The 'India AI Impact Summit 2026' is being held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from February 16 to 20. The summit has brought together policymakers, industry leaders, academicians, innovators and civil society representatives from across the world.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting perspective from Sunak. Having worked in tech in both London and Bangalore, I can see this difference firsthand. Indian developers are incredibly pragmatic and solution-oriented with AI, while in Europe there's always a regulatory debate first.
More AI startups than the US? That's amazing! But we must ensure this growth is inclusive. The benefits should reach small towns and villages, not just metro cities. The 'Digital India' dream needs AI for all. 🙏
With optimism must come responsibility. Yes, we are embracing AI fast, but are our data protection laws robust enough? We need strong governance frameworks *before* problems arise, not after. Sunak's point about policy is crucial for India.
Our young population is a huge advantage. They are digital natives, ready to build and adapt. This optimism Sunak talks about is the energy of a billion-plus people seeing technology as a path to a better future. Jai Hind!
The comparison to the Manhattan Project spending is staggering. It shows the scale of belief in this technology. India's ability to implement tech at massive scale could make it the world's leading AI laboratory in the coming decade.
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