By Dr. Josefin Rosén, Principal Trustworthy AI Specialist, SAS
Artificial intelligence is entering a new chapter in 2026, defined less by the size of models and more by the values that guide them. As AI systems evolve from predictive tools into agentic systems capable of reasoning and acting autonomously, the world is asking a new set of questions. How do we build AI that is trustworthy? How do we keep systems efficient, inclusive, and aligned with the needs of real communities? And who will lead this shift toward responsibility and sustainability?
India is uniquely positioned to shape the answers. Its entrepreneurial depth and culture of solving for scale have created a strong foundation for an era where technology must deliver impact at scale. These strengths now offer the country a strategic advantage as the world moves into an AI landscape that rewards stewardship as much as innovation.
A Shift From “Bigger” to “Better” AI
The earliest waves of AI innovation were marked by speed: build quickly, scale aggressively, and accumulate data. That phase delivered breakthroughs, but it also revealed the fragility of systems that lacked transparency, sustainability, and human oversight.
The future will be different. It will belong to nations that can design AI ecosystems that are adaptable, accountable, and aligned with long-term public interest. This shift from maximalism to meaningfulness aligns naturally with India’s development philosophy. The country has always prioritized accessibility, interoperability, and citizen-centric innovation. These principles will matter even more as AI autonomously interacts with systems in finance, healthcare, agriculture, and governance.
Rather than racing against global AI architectures, India has the opportunity to define what responsible, contextual, and future-ready AI looks like.
The Power of People-Centric Innovation
India’s demographic strength is more than a statistic. It is a creative force. Working across linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity has trained the Indian workforce to design solutions that are robust, adaptable, and grounded in the realities of everyday life. This approach is essential for building trustworthy AI.
Responsible AI is not merely about risk mitigation; it is about ensuring that technology earns the trust of the public. That requires systems that are understandable, fair, culturally aware, and built with the people they aim to serve. When India’s innovators across startups, public sector technologists, academia, and grassroots entrepreneurs operate with this ethos, that’s how AI will create social value.
Building Sustainable Digital Foundations
As AI models become more advanced and autonomous, infrastructure itself becomes a decisive factor. The world is increasingly aware that AI systems must be energy-efficient, resilient, and environmentally responsible. India’s early and continued investments in renewable energy, distributed digital infrastructure, and mobile-first design place it ahead in building sustainable AI ecosystems.
The future does not require massive, resource-intensive data centres alone. It requires distributed compute, smaller domain-specific models, edge intelligence, and green infrastructure. India’s ability to deploy solutions across challenging geographies, at low cost and high reliability, will be a global advantage.
An Opportunity to Shape the Global AI Narrative
When nations adopt AI guided by values, strengthened by governance, and powered by local innovation, they do more than deploy technology. They set new standards. India’s path reflects the country’s strengths: scale, diversity, ingenuity, and a deep commitment to public purpose. This is an opportunity to demonstrate that AI can be not only advanced, but deeply human; not only intelligent, but trustworthy; not only powerful, but widely beneficial.
In an era where the world is searching for balance between innovation and responsibility, India has the chance to lead by example, by envisioning a future where AI can be inclusive, sustainable, and aligned with the values of billions.