India is hosting a significant AI Impact Summit in New Delhi from February 16, 2026, bringing together 20 world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, and top tech CEOs like Sundar Pichai from Google and Sam Altman from OpenAI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the five-day event, which expects 250,000 visitors. The summit aims to shape global AI rules, give developing nations a voice in governance, and focuses on human-centric AI progress with the theme "welfare for all, happiness for all."
In related developments, shared AI infrastructure is emerging as a strategy for nations to achieve "sovereign AI," allowing them to control their data and build capacity. Investment in AI infrastructure could reach over $400 billion by 2030, emphasizing the need for trust, clear legal rules, and strong data management. Meanwhile, NVIDIA's new Blackwell Ultra GPU, featured in the GB300 NVL72, promises substantial performance improvements for agentic AI, offering up to 50 times better performance for low-latency workloads and 35 times lower costs per million tokens compared to its Hopper platform.
Google Chrome is also advancing AI agent interactions with an early preview of WebMCP, or Web Model Context Protocol. This new web standard allows websites to communicate directly with AI agents using structured tools, aiming for faster and more reliable workflows. On the application front, Adidas has partnered with project44, an AI-powered decision intelligence platform, to transform its supply chain over the next decade.
Education and workforce development in AI are also seeing significant movement. Kyndryl is expanding its AI skilling programs in India, planning to train 50,000 students and 30,000 youth, and integrating AI for Governance programs with the Government's Karmayogi iGOT Platform. The University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service is launching a new course, "AI in Public Service," to prepare future leaders. Interestingly, computer science enrollment at University of California campuses has dropped 10% system-wide, with students increasingly opting for AI-specific programs.
However, the rapid integration of AI also raises concerns. OpenAI recently launched a pilot program with ads for lower-tier users, sparking discussions about privacy and how AI platforms could gain deep access to users' thoughts and intentions. Experts also worry about AI-powered bots and AI-generated misinformation on social media threatening democratic processes and influencing political discourse.
Key Takeaways
- India is hosting a major AI Impact Summit in New Delhi from February 16, 2026, with 20 world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, and CEOs from Google and OpenAI attending to discuss global AI governance.
- Shared AI infrastructure is proposed to enable "sovereign AI" for nations, with potential investments exceeding $400 billion by 2030.
- NVIDIA's new Blackwell Ultra GPU offers up to 50 times better performance for low-latency agentic AI workloads and 35 times lower costs per million tokens.
- Google Chrome is previewing WebMCP (Web Model Context Protocol) to enable direct, structured communication between websites and AI agents.
- Kyndryl is expanding AI skilling programs in India to train 50,000 students, 30,000 youth, and government employees.
- Computer science enrollment at University of California campuses has dropped 10% system-wide, indicating a shift towards AI-specific academic programs.
- Adidas has partnered with project44, an AI-powered decision intelligence platform, to transform its supply chain.
- OpenAI's pilot program for ads in its lower-tier services raises concerns about AI platforms gaining intimate access to user thoughts and intentions for advertising.
- The University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service is launching an "AI in Public Service" course to address AI's impact on government and nonprofit work.
- AI-powered bots and AI-generated content on social media are raising concerns about misinformation and their potential threat to democracy.
India hosts major AI summit with world leaders and tech giants
India is hosting a significant AI summit in New Delhi from February 16, 2026. This India AI Impact Summit brings together 20 world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, and top tech CEOs like Sundar Pichai from Google and Sam Altman from OpenAI. India aims to shape global AI rules and showcase its digital infrastructure, focusing on inclusive growth and a sustainable future. The summit will likely end with a non-binding declaration on AI development goals.
India welcomes world leaders and tech giants to AI summit
India is hosting its AI Impact Summit in New Delhi starting February 16, 2026, bringing together world leaders and tech executives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the five-day event, which expects 250,000 visitors and aims for a "shared roadmap for global AI governance." Leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and CEOs such as Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman are attending. The summit focuses on using AI for humanity, inclusive growth, and a sustainable future, and will likely conclude with a non-binding New Delhi declaration.
India hosts global AI summit attracting top tech leaders
India is hosting a major AI summit in New Delhi this week, starting February 16, bringing together top executives from global AI companies like Google and OpenAI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated the summit's theme is "welfare for all, happiness for all," focusing on human-centric AI progress. The India AI Impact Summit aims to give developing nations a voice in global AI governance. Over 250,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors are expected at the Bharat Mandapam complex.
Prime Minister Modi opens India AI Impact Summit
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India AI Impact Summit 2026 and the India AI Impact Expo 2026 in New Delhi on February 16. The summit, held at Bharat Mandapam until February 20, is the fourth global AI summit and the first in a Global South country. It expects leaders from 20 nations, including Brazil and France, and tech giants like Sundar Pichai and Sam Altman. Modi emphasized India's commitment to human-centric AI progress, with the theme "welfare for all, happiness for all."
India hosts AI summit with world leaders attending
India began hosting a global artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron is among the 20 world leaders expected to attend the event. India is highlighting that this is the first AI summit of its scale to be held in the Global South. Discussions will cover important topics like job disruption and child safety related to AI.
Kyndryl expands AI training for Indian government and youth
Kyndryl is expanding its AI skilling programs in India to train 50,000 students and 30,000 youth, as part of its social impact commitment. The company will strengthen public sector AI readiness by integrating its AI for Governance programs with the Government's Karmayogi iGOT Platform. Kyndryl also plans to launch foundational AI education in government schools, starting with a pilot in Varanasi and Ayodhya for 50,000 students and 1,000 teachers. Additionally, it will empower graduate students to become AI change-makers, driving AI literacy and supporting AI solutions in rural areas.
Kyndryl plans to teach AI skills to young Indians
Kyndryl is launching a major initiative to teach AI skills to 50,000 students and 30,000 youth across India. This program includes training government employees on AI for Governance through the Karmayogi iGOT Platform, focusing on AI fundamentals and cyber safety. Kyndryl will also introduce foundational AI education in government schools, starting with a pilot in Varanasi and Ayodhya for students and teachers. The company aims to empower graduate students to become AI change-makers, helping communities adopt AI solutions for rural development.
AI advertising raises concerns about privacy and influence
Tom Snyder discusses how advertising in AI platforms could give companies deep access to users' thoughts and intentions. OpenAI recently launched a pilot program with ads for lower-tier users, sparking concerns about repeating social media's mistakes. Unlike search engines that track clicks, large language models participate in our thinking, gathering intimate details about health, careers, and relationships. This shift from observing behavior to understanding intention gives AI powerful predictive and persuasive abilities. Snyder questions the ethics of leveraging this asymmetry for advertising, comparing it to insider trading.
NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra boosts AI performance and cuts costs
NVIDIA's new Blackwell Ultra GPU, featured in the GB300 NVL72, delivers significantly better performance and lower costs for agentic AI. New data shows it offers up to 50 times better performance for low-latency workloads and 35 times lower costs per million tokens compared to the Hopper platform. This improvement comes from innovations across chips, system architecture, and software like NVIDIA TensorRT-LLM. The Blackwell Ultra also excels in long-context scenarios, with 1.5 times higher NVFP4 compute performance. Leading cloud providers like CoreWeave are already deploying these systems.
Computer science enrollment drops as students choose AI
Computer science enrollment at University of California campuses has dropped for the first time since the dot-com crash, falling 10% system-wide. The only exception is UC San Diego, which saw a 20% increase in computer science students. This shift suggests students are moving towards AI-specific programs, with many U.S. universities launching new AI majors like MIT's "AI and decision-making." Parents are also guiding students towards majors like mechanical and electrical engineering, which seem more resistant to AI automation.
Adidas partners with project44 for AI supply chain transformation
Adidas has chosen project44, an AI-powered decision intelligence platform, to transform its supply chain over the next decade. Project44 CEO Jett McCandless shared that this partnership was eight years in the making. Adidas aims to use project44's technology to manage immediate pressures and prepare for future AI advancements in logistics. Birju Shah, a new Senior Advisor at project44 and former Uber AI leader, will help apply agentic and reasoning AI across project44's Movement platform to deliver value for customers.
Shared AI infrastructure can help nations gain control
Shared AI infrastructure can help nations achieve "sovereign AI" by expanding access to computing and data capabilities. This approach allows economies, especially developing ones, to build AI capacity while keeping control over their data. A paper from the World Economic Forum and Bain & Company highlights that AI infrastructure investment could reach over $400 billion by 2030. Trust is crucial for shared infrastructure, requiring clear legal rules, strong data management, and technical assurances. This model helps overcome bottlenecks like limited access to advanced chips and power grids.
Clinton School offers new AI course for public service
The University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service is launching a new course called "AI in Public Service" this spring. Led by Dr. Robert Richards, the course will teach future public service leaders how AI is changing government and nonprofit work. Students will explore practical AI uses like intelligent agents, regulatory reform, and data visualization. The curriculum, informed by faculty research, aims to equip students with the knowledge to lead organizations in effectively using AI and navigating its ethical and economic implications.
Google Chrome previews WebMCP for AI agent communication
Google Chrome has launched an early preview of WebMCP, or Web Model Context Protocol, a new web standard for AI agent interactions. WebMCP allows websites to communicate directly with AI agents using structured tools, replacing slower screen scraping methods. This protocol lets sites define clear functions, like booking tickets, that agents can call through a new browser API called navigator.modelContext. This direct communication aims to make AI agent workflows faster and more reliable for developers and enterprises.
AI and bots threaten democracy on social media
A new discussion on February 16, 2026, titled "AI And Our Democracy," explores how artificial intelligence impacts political discourse. Many Americans get news from social media, but AI-powered bots are increasingly spreading misinformation. Experts worry that bad actors use AI-generated photos and bot campaigns to influence political conversations. This raises concerns about how AI affects our experience of the current political moment and the health of democracy.
Sources
- India Hosts a High-Stakes AI Summit in New Delhi, Drawing 20 Leaders and Top Tech CEOs
- India hosts AI Impact Summit, drawing world leaders, tech giants
- From OpenAI to Google, India hosts global AI summit
- India AI Summit 2026 LIVE: India stands at forefront of AI transformation, says PM Modi
- India hosts AI summit with Macron expected to attend
- Kyndryl Expands AI Skilling Programs for Government Employees, Students and Youth in India
- Inside Kyndryl's plan to bring AI skills to tens of thousands of young Indians
- Tom Snyder: When ads come to AI, advertisers gain closer access to our minds
- New Data Shows NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra Delivers up to 50x Better Performance and 35x Lower Costs for Agentic AI
- The great computer science exodus (and where students are going instead)
- adidas taps project44 tech with focus on how AI transforming supply chain over next decade — Retail Technology Innovation Hub
- How shared infrastructure can enable sovereign AI
- Navigating the New Frontier: Clinton School Launches AI in Public Service Course
- Google Chrome Launches WebMCP in Early Preview for AI Agent Interactions
- 'If You Can Keep It': A.I. And Our Democracy : 1A
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