India AI Impact Summit 2026: ODET Side Events
India AI Impact Summit 2026: ODET Side Events
Context
The India AI Impact Summit 2026, anchored in the principles of People, Planet, and Progress, will focus on how artificial intelligence can advance humanity, support inclusive growth, and safeguard the shared global commons.
In this context, the United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) is hosting three high-level side events on 18 and 20 February. These sessions will bring together senior leaders and experts to examine the role of scientific evidence in international AI governance, approaches to strengthening safeguards for children’s safety and wellbeing, and how AI can reshape global development beyond the SDGs.
To register for India AI Impact Summit 2026, including ODET Side Events, visit the Summit’s official website.
The Role of Science in International AI Governance
This session will examine how scientific evidence and independent expertise can strengthen global approaches to safe and trusted artificial intelligence governance. It will explore the role of evaluation, benchmarking, and research in informing policy, regulation, and international cooperation. The discussion will also consider how advances in AI are reshaping scientific discovery and the governance challenges this creates, highlighting practical pathways to embed science-based insight into transparent, trusted, and coordinated AI governance frameworks.
Welcoming Remarks
- António Guterres — Secretary-General, United Nations
Keynote
- Brad Smith — Vice Chair and President, Microsoft
Firestarter
- Anil Ananthaswamy — Science Journalist and Author
- Yoshua Bengio — Mila, Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute
Panel
- Amandeep Singh Gill — Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, United Nations (Moderator)
- Ajay Kumar Sood — Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
- Anne Bouverot — Special Envoy for Artificial Intelligence, Government of France
- Balaraman Ravindran — Professor, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras
- Soumya Swaminathan — Former Chief Scientist, World Health Organization
Closing Remarks
- Josephine Teo — Minister for Digital Development and Information, Singapore
AI and Children’s Safety and Wellbeing
Children are increasingly interacting with AI systems that shape learning, play, information, and social connection. This session examines how children’s rights, safety, and wellbeing can be protected as AI scales across digital environments. The discussion focuses on practical governance, design, and accountability approaches that translate global norms into real protections. Emphasis is placed on child-centric design, transparency, safeguards against harm, and policy choices that support long-term social empowerment.
Opening
- Amandeep Singh Gill — Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, United Nations
Featured Address
- Raul John Aju — “AI Kid of India”
Panel
- Thomas Davin — Director, Office of Innovation, UNICEF
- Urvashi Aneja — Director, Digital Futures Lab
- Megan L. Garcia — Activist Against Chatbot Harm
- Baroness Joanna Shields — Responsible AI Future Foundation
- Chris Lehane — Chief Global Affairs Officer, OpenAI
- Maria Bielikova — Director, Kempelen Institute
- Tom Hall — Vice President and General Manager, LEGO Education
How AI Will Reshape Global Development Beyond the SDGs*
From a deadline mindset to a long-term development transformation
This session explores how artificial intelligence can support global development beyond the 2030 horizon, moving from time-bound targets toward sustained, systemic transformation. Speakers will reflect on the implications of AI for development finance, disaster risk reduction, inclusion, innovation ecosystems, and international cooperation.
Opening
- Deputy Secretary-General — Virtual Address
Speakers
- Amandeep Singh Gill — Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, United Nations
- Vilas Dhar — President, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
- Sangbu Kim — Vice President, Digital Development, World Bank
- Komal Sharma Talwar — Founder, XLSCOUT
- Shankar Maruwada — CEO and Co-Founder, EkStep
- Bipin Preet Singh — Co-Founder and CEO, MobiKwik
- Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink — Director, AI and Social Impact, Google
- Paula Bogantes Zamora — Minister of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications, Costa Rica
- Kamal Kishore — Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction
- Robert Opp — Chief Digital Officer & Director of the Digital, AI and Innovation Hub, UNDP
- Anne Neuberger — Special Advisor, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
- Osama Manzar — Founder and Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation
- Samir Saran — President, Observer Research Foundation
*Closed-door session