"AI most transformative tech of human history; Summit comes at critical moment'': Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis

New Delhi [India], February 18 (ANI): Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind appreciated India for hosting the seminal Global AI Impact, noting that it comes at an opportune time as the world is on the cusp of Artificial Generative Intelligence. The DeepMind CEO highlighted several areas where AI is making strides and also underlined the importance of the AI Summit in promoting global dialogue and cooperation for mitigating the risks which may arise from the technology.
Demis Hassabis hailed the gathering of the top minds from India and across the world at the Summit and said, "We are at a threshold moment where Artificial Generative Intelligence is on the horizon in the next 5-8 years. So this summit comes at a critical moment as we start seeing more autonomous AI systems. The opportunties are incredible."
He highlighted the avenues where AI can play a crucial role-- science, medicine, climate change, human health.
"AI is going to be the most transformative technology in human history that's just on the horizon now and it is going to affect everybody across the world. It's very important to have summits like this to bring the international community together to make sure the opportunities benefit the whole world and how do we mitigate the risks- which would need international cooperation and the first step to that is to have international dialogue," he said.
Demis Hassabis is an Al researcher, entrepreneur, and Nobel Laureate. Demis is the co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind. In 2017, Demis featured in the Times 100 list of most influential people, and in 2024 he was awarded a knighthood for services to the field of Artificial Intelligence.
Earlier, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thusday hailed the young minds for their passion towards artificial intelligence and their response to coming to the AI Summit in large numbers. He shared how India is using AI to solve real world problems and gave a call to the top minds gathered for bringing solutions in making AI safe for all.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is being held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, it started on February 16 and will run up to February 20, 2026.T he Summit brought together government policymakers, industry AI experts, academicians, technology innovators and civil society from across the world at New Delhi to advance global discussions on artificial intelligence.
The India AI Impact Summit, the first global AI summit to be hosted in the Global South, aims to reflect on the transformative potential of, AI aligning with the national vision of "Sarvajana Hitaya, Sarvajana Sukhaya" (welfare for all, happiness for all) and global principle of AI for Humanity.
The Summit will have participation of more than 110 countries, 30 International organizations, including about 20 HoS/HoG level participation, about 45 Ministers.
The AI summit is part of an evolving international process aimed at strengthening global cooperation on the governance, safety, and societal impact of AI.
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is guided by three Sutras or foundational pillars - People, Planet, and Progress. These sutras articulate the core principles for global cooperation on artificial intelligence. They aim to promote human-centric AI that safeguards rights and ensures equitable benefits across societies, environmentally sustainable advancement of AI, and inclusive economic and technological advancement. (ANI)