New Delhi [India], February 19 : President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday urged the creation of multilateral global governance for artificial intelligence while addressing the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit in New Delhi. He cautioned that unchecked technological expansion could deepen inequalities and concentrate power in a few countries and corporations.
Describing humanity as standing at a "crossroads", Lula said the rapid advance of the Fourth Industrial Revolution coincides with weakening multilateral cooperation, making international rules urgent. Artificial intelligence, he noted, can boost productivity, healthcare, public services and food and energy security, but also enable harmful practices such as disinformation, autonomous weapons and exploitation of labour.
He warned that AI-generated false content can distort elections and threaten democratic systems. Algorithms, he added, should not be viewed as neutral codes but as part of a broader power structure capable of reinforcing economic dominance if left unregulated.
A central theme of his address was the concentration of computing infrastructure and data ownership. According to the president, information produced by citizens, companies and governments is increasingly appropriated by a small number of conglomerates without fair economic return to originating societies. "When a few control algorithms and digital infrastructure, it is not innovation but domination," he said.
Lula linked the regulation of large technology firms to the protection of human rights, privacy and creative industries, arguing that current business models rely heavily on personal data exploitation and sensationalist content that fuels political radicalisation.
He highlighted Brazil's domestic efforts, including legislative discussions on attracting data-centre investment and the 2025 national AI plan aimed at improving public services and generating employment.
Internationally, Lula referred to initiatives under BRICS, the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence and other forums, but stressed that the United Nations must remain the central platform for inclusive global regulation.
Concluding, he praised India's intellectual traditions and said ethical reflection would be essential to ensure artificial intelligence strengthens democracy, social cohesion and equitable development worldwide.
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