Building Ethical AI for Public Good Takes Focus at India AI Impact Summit 2026

As artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded in public systems, the need to design AI with equity, accountability, and inclusion at its core has never been more urgent. Addressing this challenge head-on, the India AI Impact Summit 2026 will host a high-level panel discussion examining how AI-enabled public infrastructure can both empower—and inadvertently exclude—communities if not thoughtfully governed.

Dr. Bhavani Rao R, UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Dean of the Amrita School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, will be a featured speaker at the session titled “Data, People, and Pre-Empting Mass Exclusion: Building Ethical AI as Digital Public Infrastructure.”

Convened as part of the Summit, the multi-stakeholder dialogue will bring together policymakers, technologists, researchers, and civil society leaders to examine how biases in data, gaps in design, and weak governance frameworks can unintentionally marginalize vulnerable populations. The discussion will focus on what must change across data practices, system design, accountability mechanisms, and institutional oversight to ensure AI truly serves everyone.

The panel will explore community-centred approaches to AI development, inclusive data governance models, and ethical design principles that position AI as a trusted public good rather than a source of systemic exclusion. By foregrounding people alongside technology, the session aims to contribute actionable insights for strengthening AI-driven digital public infrastructure in India and beyond.

Session Details
Date: February 17, 2026
Time: 10:30 – 11:25 AM
Location: Meeting Room 8, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi

RSVP: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSevamqaPsW3Yy…/viewform
Summit Registration: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/registration
Attendance is open to registered participants of the Summit. Registration on the official India AI portal is mandatory for entry.

As governments and institutions increasingly rely on AI to deliver public services, this session underscores a critical message: ethical, inclusive, and accountable AI is not optional—it is foundational to building fair digital futures