France's Special Envoy for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Anne Bouverot, has commended India's approach to AI governance, highlighting the country's commitment to balancing innovation with effective regulation. Bouverot, in a recent interview, noted that India shares the "same spirit" as France in striving to find the right equilibrium between fostering technological advancement and implementing necessary safeguards in the AI sector.
Bouverot emphasized that France is eager to collaborate with India on various aspects of AI, including ethics, regulation, and accountability. Both nations share similar priorities in protecting citizens while promoting technological progress. "We're very willing to collaborate. Nobody gives lessons to anyone," Bouverot stated, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the partnership. "I think we ourselves are trying to find the right balance between innovation and regulation," she added.
France places great importance on protecting personal data and privacy, viewing it as a fundamental aspect of its history. Simultaneously, the country recognizes the importance of fostering innovation and enabling startups and companies to thrive in the AI space. Bouverot believes that India shares this same spirit and hopes to help strengthen the balance between innovation and regulation to protect citizens, children, and workers.
India's AI Governance Guidelines, recently released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), advocate for a hands-off regulatory approach to AI. This framework prioritizes innovation while ensuring responsible deployment through flexible governance mechanisms. Unlike the European Union's prescriptive AI Act, India's framework leverages existing statutes, primarily the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, and the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, to address AI-related challenges. This approach recognizes India's substantial AI talent pool and the projected economic benefits of AI, aiming to accelerate AI adoption without stifling development through excessive regulation.
Bouverot also announced that 2026 would be celebrated as the year of innovation between France and India, highlighting the deepening collaboration between the two nations. This declaration comes ahead of the AI Impact Summit scheduled to take place in New Delhi from February 19-20. The summit marks a critical milestone as the first global AI summit in the Global South.
The AI Impact Summit 2026 aims to transition from political declarations to actionable advancements in AI, highlighting the potential for France and India to create AI solutions tailored to diverse cultural needs. Bouverot emphasized the alignment in France and India's approach to making AI useful and culturally sensitive. She also expressed interest in use cases in various sectors, including agriculture, commerce, education, and healthcare.
The collaboration between India and France in the field of AI extends beyond ethical considerations and regulatory frameworks. Both countries are actively working together to harness AI's potential for human development and the global commons. They share a common vision of AI governance, emphasizing the development of safe, open, secure, and trustworthy AI, as well as its responsible and ethical use.
Through joint initiatives, research collaborations, and knowledge exchange programs, India and France are paving the way for a collaborative and responsible global AI model. This partnership serves as a blueprint for how global cooperation can shape the technology that shapes our lives, grounding AI in shared values like fairness, privacy, and trust.
