Advancing Multilateral AI Partnerships: A Pre-Summit Event for 2026 AI Impact Summit

Logistical Note: Doors open for registration at 11:30 AM; lunch will be served starting at 12:00 PM.

Ahead of the 2026 AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, the Center for Data Innovation and The Dialogue are convening an official pre-summit event, sponsored by Google, in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2026.

The India AI Impact Summit is a global summit that seeks to move AI cooperation beyond high-level principles toward measurable, real-world impact, particularly for developing countries and the Global South. As AI capabilities remain unevenly distributed, the Summit seeks to close the global AI divide by advancing people-centric, sustainable, and inclusive approaches to AI adoption, governance, and deployment. Anchored in the three Sutras of People, Planet, and Progress, and operationalized through seven Chakras spanning areas such as science, human capital, safe and trusted AI, and democratizing AI resources, the Summit emphasizes practical pathways for applying AI to development priorities at scale.

This Washington, D.C. pre-summit convening will feed directly into the New Delhi Summit agenda.

Agenda:

• 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM: Lunch & Networking
• 12:30 – 1:00 PM: Opening Remarks and Keynote Addresses
• 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Panel 1: Scaling AI Adoption Through Skills, Deployment, and Trust
• 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Panel 2: Compute Equity and Interoperable Safeguards: Bridging the Global Divide
• 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Panel 3: Developing a Shared Roadmap for AI Policy and Innovation
• 4:00 PM: Closing Remarks
• 4:10 PM: Reception & Networking

Opening Remarks:

• Cris Turner, VP for Government Affairs and Public Policy for Knowledge & Information Products, Google
• Additional speakers to be announced.

Keynote Address:

• Dr. Ajay Kumar, Minister (Commerce), Embassy of India
• Additional speakers to be announced.

Panel 1: Scaling AI Adoption Through Skills, Deployment, and Trust

This session will focus on how countries are adopting AI to drive tangible economic and social impact, and what is enabling or constraining that adoption in practice. Drawing on insights from the United States, India, and across the world, the discussion will examine how AI is being deployed across sectors such as public services, healthcare, agriculture, finance, and small and medium-sized enterprises, and how these deployments translate into productivity gains, improved service delivery, and inclusive growth. The session will explore the practical conditions that shape successful adoption, particularly access to talent and skills. It will also highlight how different countries are adapting AI systems to local needs, constraints, and development priorities, and what lessons travel across regions. The goal is to surface concrete examples and shared challenges that can inform a more coordinated approach to supporting AI adoption across diverse national contexts.

Speakers:

• Arthur Nelson, Co-Director, Technology and International Affairs Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• Han Sheng Chia, Director, AI Initiative & Policy Fellow, Center for Global Development
• Poornima Shenoy, US Representative, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)
• Hodan Omaar, Senior Policy Manager, ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation (moderator)

Panel 2: Compute Equity and Interoperable Safeguards: Bridging the Global Divide

This session contextualizes the “Compute Corridor” not just as a bilateral asset, but as a model for Global Compute Equity. Panelists will discuss how U.S.-India collaboration on heterogeneous compute access, resilient data centers, and secure supply chains can create a template for the Global Majority. Simultaneously, it explores the creation of interoperable safety and security standards serving as a basis for a common, multilateral framework for responsible frontier AI. The session will underscore the dual needs to innovate (compute) and guardrails (safety), balancing infrastructure access with safety benchmarks.

Speakers:

• Sunayna Dabas, First Secretary, Embassy of India
• Jeffrey D. Bean, Program Manager, Technology Policy & Editor, ORF America
• Benjamin Schwartz, Managing Head of Infrastructure Partnerships and Policy, OpenAI
• Behnaz Kibria, Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google Cloud
• Kazim Rizvi, Founding Director, The Dialogue (moderator)

Panel 3: Developing a Shared Roadmap for AI Policy and Innovation

This session will discuss the priority policies and governance models required to build responsible, resilient, interoperable, and safe AI ecosystems that support transformative innovation and growth while managing risks. Panelists will identify priority areas of strategic cooperation and policy coordination between the US and India, examine global approaches to AI governance and regulation, and discuss best practices for attracting AI investment, talent, and growth. This discussion aims to provide insights for the India AI Impact Summit to support global collaboration on building regulatory environments for AI that allow societies to harness the tremendous benefits of AI while maintaining safety and trust.

Speakers:

• David Weller, Senior Director of Emerging Tech, Competitiveness & Sustainability Policy, Google
• Ridhika Batra, VP Corporate Affairs, Mahindra Group
• Olivia Igbokwe-Curry, Director, U.S. Federal Affairs & Public Policy, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Vikram Singh, Senior Advisor, Defense and Aerospace, U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum
• Aalok Mehta, Director, Wadhwani AI Center, Center for Strategic and International Studies (moderator)