In New Delhi, Lula advocates global governance of AI and warns, “When few control the algorithms, it is not innovation, but domination”

In his address this Thursday, February 19, in New Delhi, during the Plenary Session of the AI Impact Summit, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva advocated multilateral, inclusive, and development-oriented governance of Artificial Intelligence. He warned that, without collective action, the technology may deepen historical inequalities and weaken democracies.

Placing human beings at the center of our decisions is an urgent task. The governance regime of these technologies will define who participates, who is exploited, and who will be left at the margins of this process”

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of the Republic

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution is advancing rapidly, while multilateralism is dangerously receding. In this context, global governance of artificial intelligence assumes a strategic role. Without collective action, artificial intelligence will deepen historical inequalities. Brazil advocates governance that recognizes the diversity of national trajectories and ensures that artificial intelligence strengthens democracy, social cohesion, and national sovereignty,” Lula stated.

The President recalled that, according to the International Telecommunication Union, 2.6 billion people remain disconnected from the digital world. For Lula, nations must deepen discussions on the issue, bearing in mind that this is a process that must prioritize people.

“Placing human beings at the center of our decisions is an urgent task. The governance regime of these technologies will define who participates, who is exploited, and who will be left at the margins of this process.”

» Lula’s speech at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Impact Summit (in Portuguese)

DANGERS – President Lula also warned about the risks associated with the indiscriminate use of Artificial Intelligence, stressing that its impacts have enormous potential to threaten democracies and contaminate electoral processes.

“Every major technological innovation has a dual character and confronts us with ethical and political challenges. AI-manipulated disinformation distorts electoral processes and puts democracy at risk,” he said.

“Aviation, nuclear technology, genetic engineering, and the space race are examples of this phenomenon. They can multiply collective well-being or cast shadows over humanity’s destiny. The Digital Revolution and Artificial Intelligence raise this challenge to unprecedented levels,” the President continued.

“They positively impact industrial productivity, public services, medicine, food and energy security, and the way we connect with one another. But they can also foster extremely harmful practices, such as the use of autonomous weapons, hate speech, disinformation, child sexual exploitation, femicide, violence against women and girls, and the precarization of labor. Algorithms are not merely applications of mathematical codes that sustain the digital world. They are part of a complex structure of power,” Lula emphasized.

REGULATION – President Lula also defended the regulation of companies responsible for major artificial intelligence platforms. Computational capacity, infrastructure, and capital remain excessively concentrated in a small number of countries and companies. The data generated by our citizens, companies, and public institutions is being appropriated by a few conglomerates, without equivalent returns in value creation and income generation within our territories,” he said.

“When few control algorithms and digital infrastructures, we are not talking about innovation, but domination. Regulating the so-called Big Tech companies is linked to the imperative of safeguarding human rights in the digital sphere, promoting information integrity, and protecting our countries’ creative industries. The current business model of these companies depends on the exploitation of personal data, the erosion of privacy rights, and the monetization of sensationalist content that amplifies political radicalization,” the President continued.

Lula also highlighted that Brazil has been advancing discussions on policies to attract investment in data centers, as well as on establishing a regulatory framework for Artificial Intelligence. He recalled that, in 2025, the country launched the Brazilian Artificial Intelligence Plan, expressing its commitment to improving quality of life through more agile public services and stronger support for job and income generation.

BLETCHLEY PROCESS – The Summit in New Delhi is the fourth meeting of the Bletchley Process, a series of intergovernmental meetings on AI security and governance. The Process began in November 2023 at Bletchley Park, in the United Kingdom, followed by summits in Seoul, in May 2024, and in Paris, in February 2025. This is the first time a Brazilian President has participated in a high-level global event dedicated to artificial intelligence.

BRAZIL AND INDIA – This is President Lula’s fifth visit to India and his second during his current term. The visit reinforces an unprecedented moment of economic and technological dynamism in bilateral relations between the two countries. In September 2023, Lula traveled to India accompanied by more than one hundred representatives of Brazilian companies seeking trade and joint venture opportunities.

At President Lula’s invitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a State Visit to Brazil on July 8, 2025, following his participation in the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro. On that occasion, the two leaders issued a Joint Communiqué identifying five priority pillars to guide bilateral relations over the next decade: (I) peace, defense, and security, (II) energy transition and climate justice, (III) food and nutritional security and agricultural trade, (IV) digital transformation and science and technology, and (V) industrial partnerships in strategic sectors.

In addition to official visits, Lula and Narendra Modi met four times in the past three years: on May 21, 2023, on the margins of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, on September 10, 2023, on the margins of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, when they issued a Joint Communiqué, on June 21, 2024, at the G7 Summit in Italy, and on November 19, 2024, on the margins of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

BILATERAL AGENDA – Following the Summit, President Lula will hold a bilateral agenda in New Delhi. He and Prime Minister Modi will discuss prospects for expanding economic and technological cooperation and exchange views on the global situation. The two leaders are expected to address challenges to multilateralism and international trade, the need to reform global governance, including comprehensive reform of the United Nations and its Security Council, the commitment to peace in Gaza, and respect for national sovereignty and democracy.

TRADE – In 2025, trade between Brazil and India reached USD 15 billion, a 25.5 percent increase compared to 2024 and the highest level recorded to date. Brazilian exports totaled USD 6.9 billion, making India Brazil’s tenth-largest export destination. Imports totaled USD 8.4 billion, positioning India as Brazil’s sixth-largest source of imports.

Brazil and India have set a target of increasing bilateral trade to USD 20 billion by 2030 and have initiated negotiations to expand the MERCOSUR–India Preferential Trade Agreement.

India is the world’s most populous country, with 1.4 billion inhabitants. It is the fourth-largest economy globally, with a GDP of approximately USD 4.2 trillion, and may become the third-largest by 2030. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, India is the world’s second-largest agricultural producer by value, after China, while Brazil ranks fourth by that criterion, and India is the ninth-largest agricultural exporter, with Brazil ranking third.