CHENNAI : Indian Institute of Technology Madras’ (IIT Madras) Centre for Responsible AI (CeRAI) played a key role in advancing discussions on safe and trustworthy AI at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, held from 16th to 20th February 2026 at Delhi.
The CeRAI served as one of the knowledge partners for the Summit, which was organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, under the IndiaAI Mission.
CeRAI is a virtual interdisciplinary research centre at the Wadhwani School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (WSAI), IIT Madras, focusing on developing responsible, safe and trustworthy AI systems for societal impact.
CeRAI also hosted a dedicated stall at the Summit expo, which witnessed strong engagement from participants throughout the event. The stall showcased the Centre’s research initiatives, policy work and collaborative efforts aimed at advancing responsible AI technologies.
As part of the Research Symposium Keynote, Prof. B. Ravindran, Head, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI and CeRAI, IIT Madras, moderated a future-focused conversation with Dr. Demis Hassabis, CEO and Co-Founder of Google DeepMind.
The discussion examined the current limitations of AI systems, the importance of continual learning and long-term planning, and the high levels of creativity required for scientific discovery. A key highlight was the synergy between large-scale foundation models and reinforcement learning, which was identified as critical to advancing more robust and consistent AI systems.
Speaking about the importance of this landmark Summit, Prof. B Ravindran, also the Chair of Safe and Trusted AI Working Group, said, “This is the first time India is organising an AI Impact Summit at this scale and we are happy and privileged to be one of the knowledge partners for the Summit. The Global South presents unique deployment realities that must shape how we think about governance and safety. Through our sessions and the launch of the Global South Network for Trustworthy AI, we hope to have more evidence-based conversations on what it takes to build AI models that are not just safe but trustworthy.”
Beyond the keynote session, CeRAI organised multiple thematic discussions addressing key challenges in AI adoption and governance.
The session on ‘Safe AI Solutions in Education – A Practitioner-Oriented Dialogue for the Global South Perspective’ brought together researchers, policymakers, edtech innovators and educators to deliberate on practical frameworks for safe, equitable and transparent AI adoption in education systems across the Global South.
Another session on ‘Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration to Foster AI Adoption in the Global South’ explored governance mechanisms, regulatory readiness and cross-sector partnerships required to accelerate responsible and inclusive AI deployment.
A milestone at the Summit was the launch of the Global South Network for Trustworthy AI, which aims to generate contextual evidence on AI safety risks, strengthen regional capacity and amplify Global South perspectives in global AI governance debates.
Through its participation at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, IIT Madras reaffirmed its commitment to shaping the future of safe, trustworthy and inclusive AI systems, particularly in addressing the needs and challenges of the Global South.
