The 2026 AI Summit in India: Implications for Southeast Asia

The 2026 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact Summit showcased the technological ambition and strategic vision of numerous companies and experts. Countries in Southeast Asia may certainly draw inspiration from this event. 

However, for economies that are still “feeling their way” as they adapt to AI, inspiration is simply not enough. No conference can substitute for the concrete strategies and sufficiently strong institutions required to govern this complex technology.

Cross-national Coordination in AI

Held in New Delhi, India, from Feb. 16 to 20, the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit served as both a large-scale technology conference and a new multilateral diplomatic forum for the digital era. 

Notably, it marked the first time a Global South nation hosted a global-level conference focused on the impact of AI, attracting participants from more than 100 countries and numerous international organizations. [1]

By bringing together government leaders, tech executives, and multilateral organizations, India sought to assert a new leadership role in the global technology order, reflecting its ambition to become a global AI hub alongside North America and China. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that the event demonstrated India’s rapid technological development and determination to ensure that AI “serves the many, not just a select few.” [2]

During the summit, 86 countries and two international organizations signed a joint declaration aimed at responsible and equitable global cooperation in AI development. 

The document affirmed that “sharing the benefits of AI with all of humanity is the only way to fully realize its potential.” [3]

The signatories hope to create a coordination forum where countries can jointly govern AI, ensuring its benefits are widely shared without deepening the digital divide. 

However, because the declaration is not legally binding, it currently lacks the mechanisms capable of ensuring strong implementation.

Is Southeast Asia Being Left “on the Sidelines”?

The New Delhi summit raises several important questions about the impact of global AI policy on Southeast Asia, a region defined by stark contrasts in economic capacity, technological ambition, and digitalization. 

While Singapore and Malaysia clearly possess strong digital capabilities [4], nations like Indonesia, Việt Nam, and the Philippines are still working to advance their AI policies. These latter countries remain dependent on external capital and technology due to limited data infrastructure and incomplete regulatory frameworks. [5]

The joint declaration of the summit does not fully address the digital equity challenges confronting the region. Principles such as transparency and accountability are essential, but major questions remain unresolved: who will establish the technical standards, safety procedures, and regulatory frameworks? 

Furthermore, who will bear the responsibility when AI causes harm or digital markets become monopolized?

For Southeast Asian countries, the New Delhi commitments may serve more as a strategic declaration for long-term development than a concrete framework for technical cooperation. This mirrors the obstacles faced at previous global gatherings, such as the AI summit held in February 2025 in Paris, France. 

Participants at these events have yet to resolve fundamental challenges, namely how to harness AI responsibly while minimizing risks to security, human rights, and the environment. [6]

Developing concrete governance standards remains difficult because nations disagree on the proper roles of law and the market. At the February 2026 summit, developed Western countries were more concerned about AI safety than developing countries were. 

For instance, France and other European countries prioritize safety and binding regulations—arguing that security creates sustainable competitive advantages—even if it temporarily slows innovation. 

By contrast, India and many Southeast Asian countries seek to balance innovation with governance to foster domestic markets and attract foreign investment. As a result, “considerable skepticism remains,” along with a significant perception gap regarding the summit’s actual commitments. [7]

What Should Southeast Asia Prepare For?

Southeast Asia must comprehensively assess the prospect of integrating into the global AI policy networks envisioned at the New Delhi summit, carefully weighing both expectations and challenges.

Primarily, the event emphasizes the necessity of regional coordination through international commitments, especially concerning user rights protection and mitigating risks like deepfakes, misinformation, and employment disruption. [8] 

Southeast Asian nations are already discussing these issues—from ethical standards to workforce retraining. However, until global principles translate into concrete technical standards or international oversight mechanisms, they may remain relatively passive. 

This passivity is evident regarding trust-building and specific regulations for data governance, an important strategic asset in the digital era.

The India summit also underscores the reliance of developing nations on multinational technology corporations. Although chief executives from major firms like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic announced investment commitments at the event, their immense power over technical standards and data ownership operates largely outside binding regulatory mechanisms. 

Consequently, this dynamic elevates the risk of “digital protectionism.” The dominance of foreign private companies over key platforms also sparks digital sovereignty concerns among Southeast Asian states, particularly in non-democratic countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Việt Nam.

Meanwhile, the summit has struggled to convert its diplomatic promises into tangible results. Insufficient infrastructure hinders ambitions to establish a new AI center for the Global South, while policies pertaining to privacy and AI safety continue to constrain the region. [9] 

Ultimately, these limitations reveal a fundamental reality: for Southeast Asia to effectively participate in global AI governance, the region must articulate its strategies instead of relying entirely on declarations from external leaders.

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From a policy perspective, ASEAN needs to put practical steps ahead of general principles. Specifically, the organization could shape internal standards on critical issues, ranging from cross-border data governance and AI safety standards to concrete risk oversight frameworks and emergency coordination mechanisms. 

Once these strong foundations are established, participating in international dialogue platforms, such as the recent AI summit, will carry far more substantive value.

The AI summit in India serves as an important step toward expanding multilateral dialogue and recognizing the crucial role of developing countries in the global digital transformation.

However, the central challenge for Southeast Asia remains clear: the region must determine how to participate effectively, ensuring it protects the interests of its people while actively contributing to the international rules governing digital technologies.

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Mai Phương wrote this op-ed article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on March 05, 2026. Đàm Vĩnh Hằng translated it into English for The Vietnamese Magazine.