AI Summit 2026 Highlights: ‘Cost of AI expected to fall dramatically’ says Sam Altman; Jio to invest ₹10 trillion

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Bernard Maissen, Swiss State Secretary and Director General of the Federal Office of Communications, on Thursday, 19 February 2026, said that the AI Impact Summit 2026 is a key event and it is happening for the first time for the Global South.

He also said that the next summit, which is set to be hosted in Geneva in 2027, should bridge the gap between the global north and the global south.

“It is a very important Summit... It is happening for the first time in the Global South... The next Summit should bridge the gap between the North and South,” Maissen told ANI.

Shashi Tharoor said that the first few days of the AI Impact Summit have gone extremely well; however, some glitches happen in a large event.

“These first couple of days have gone extremely well. There have been some glitches, but these things happen in a large event. What has been impressive is the attendance of Presidents, Prime Ministers, and world leaders, and they've come with a strong message of wanting to see a newly integrated world in AI development, where the impact upon society would be the principle,” said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

Swiss President Guy Parmelin, on Thursday, 19 February 2026, at the AI Impact Summit 2026, announced that Switzerland will be hosting the next edition of the AI summit in Geneva in 2027.

“Switzerland is looking forward to hosting the 2027 AI Summit in Geneva -- and to working with the subsequent incoming host of the 2028 AI Summit, the United Arab Emirates, as partner for the Geneva summit,” he said, cited the news agency PTI.

Congress MLA Sofia Firdous said that even though AI bring convenience to people's lives it is also poses certain threats and there is a strong need to regulate the technology.

“AI brings convenience to our lives but also poses certain threats. It has its own merits and demerits, and there is a strong need to regulate it. People often share personal information through AI tools, which can be leaked and circulated widely. Therefore, clear guidelines and regulations are essential,” Firdous told ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his social media post on X said reiterated what he said during his address today that countries need to work together to create a roadmap that ensures AI delivers the right impact in the world.

“After all, humanity has always turned disruptions into opportunities and the rise of AI presents yet another such key opportunity. Let us work together to create a roadmap that ensures AI delivers the right impact, and this can happen when we take the right decisions, at the right time, with the right policies,” said PM Modi in his post.

When asked about India purchasing 114 Rafale fighter jets, French President Emmanuel Macron told the media that this deal is part of a dialogue between Airbus and the Indian government.

Macron said that this move creates more jobs and, in turn, makes the country stronger, while increasing coordination with France.

“…We are always increasing indigenous components. It's part of the dialogue between the company and your government. I don't see how people can criticise because it makes your country stronger, it increases the strategic coordination between us, and it creates more jobs here. Very clearly, we are extremely committed to having the maximum number of Indian components and manufacturing the maximum number of critical devices in India,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani and son Akash Ambani were seen leaving the Jio Pavilion at the Bharat Mandapam as the fourth day of the AI Impact Summit 2026 neared the end of the day.

Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026, told the news agency ANI that looking forward, he is looking at two related areas — renewable energy and using the energy to acheive common AI goals.

“Going forward, I see partnerships in two related areas. One, enhancing our partnership to harness our fast-flowing rivers to harness clean, green, renewable energy. Two, using this energy to achieve our common objectives in terms of Artificial Intelligence,” said Tshering Tobgay.

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom said that the public sector is where the people's trust in artificial intelligence (AI) will be really won or lost, as people look for faster services and better healthcare, among other facilities.

“AI progress and AI safety went hand in hand. It is by showing the world that this technology is safe that we'll be able to fully reap its benefits. And the public sector is where trust in AI will really be won or lost when people seek faster services, better healthcare, and simpler interactions with government. That's when the debate about AI becomes real rather than abstract,” said Rishi Sunak.

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, started his speech with a cricket reference as he started his address at the AI Impact Summit 2026 on Tuesday.

“We've been hearing all week in Delhi, artificial intelligence can do many things, but it will never replicate that sense of wonder that you feel seeing the red ball, the pleasure that you get from biting into a sweet lagoon. Or, if I can say this here in Delhi, the joy you get from watching RCBS, Smriti Mandhana, hit the perfect drive,” said Rishi Sunak.

OpenAI chief Sam Altman said that the cost of artificial intelligence has come down by more than 1,000 times over a 14-month period, and this is expected to further go down, with the Global South likely to benefit from it the most.

“The cost of getting a difficult answer out of our models has come down compared with two Decembers ago (about 14 months), by more than 1,000 times. So, a 1,000-time reduction in 14 months is just incredible. I don't think we can deliver that again in the next 14 months, but I expect costs will come down dramatically. If costs come down dramatically, I think that helps the Global South the most,” Sam Altman told the news agency PTI.

Visuals show Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a bilateral meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis amid the AI Impact Summit 2026 on Thursday in New Delhi.

Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar, Rajeev Ahuja, on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026, told the news agency ANI that India is set to lead the artificial intelligence (AI) world with whatever it develops, as it will be deployed to the world.

“India is going to lead the AI world...Whatever we are going to develop in India, we will deploy it in the whole world. We are working for the good of the whole of humanity. President Macron told the audience that India has proven with its digital avatar what they have created, which nobody believed, but everybody believed what India has done when it comes to digital transactions or in that sphere...We will be the top country in the world when it comes to AI,” said Rajeev Ahuja.

Taking India into the context, the people of the country need to be able to use and adopt AI in their day-to-day life for them to truly extract the real value from the artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

“From an India point of view, the real value of this is only going to be realised when every last person is going to be able to use and adopt AI in their day-to-day life,” said Jeet Adani, Director, Adani Defence and Aerospace.

Norway Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance, Karianne Oldernes Tung, on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026, told the news agency ANI that India has done a great job, and Norway appreciates India for prioritising democratic and inclusive AI.

“I want to congratulate India on hosting the AI Impact Summit. They have done a great job. In Norway, we really appreciate India prioritising democratic and inclusive AI. Norway is one of the most digitalised countries in the world. But we won't be satisfied until every country in the world is digitalised, and that is also one of the priorities of this Summit... A small country like Norway can learn a lot from India, and that is one of the reasons why I am here...” said the minister on Thursday.

Jeet Adani, the Director of Adani Digital Labs, during his address at the AI Impact Summit 2026, reiterated Adani Group's $100 billion commitment to build a green-energy-powered AI infrastructure, highlighting that it will not just be a data centre, but part of a bigger $250 billion ecosystem plan.

“Our Group would invest 100 billion dollars to build a sovereign, green-energy-powered AI infrastructure platform for the nation. This is not just a data centre expansion. It is the trigger for a 5-gigawatt, 250 billion dollar integrated energy-and-compute ecosystem engineered to anchor India’s Intelligence Revolution,” said Jeet Adani.

Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson, HCL Tech, during her address at AI Impact Summit 2026, said that the next question will not be whether disruption will come due to the AI push; it will be whether India will lead it.

“The real question is not whether disruption will come, but whether we will lead it, and I believe in it, we are evolving from a people-centric delivery model to an integrated system of software products, intelligent agents and human expertise, delivering outcomes at scale. This is more than just a business shift. It reflects a broader national ambition to build intellectual property that creates enduring, compounding value,” said Roshni Nadar Malhotra.

United Kingdom's Minister for AI and Online Safety, Kanishka Narayan, on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026, said that he is keen on collaborations with India and that both nations have a lot to do together.

“The UK and India have shared values and AI trajectory as well,” Kanishka Narayan told the news agency ANI. “I am very keen on collaborations with India as we have a lot to do together.”

Iranian Minister Ehsan Chitsaz, on Thursday, 19 February 2026, on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit 2026, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iran are thinking along the same lines on artificial intelligence (AI).

“Principally, PM Modi and Iran think along the same lines on AI,” said Ehsan Chitsaz, cited the news agency ANI.