AI Must Remain Human-Centric, Says PM Unveiling MANAV Vision At India AI Impact Summit

At the Global AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, framed artificial intelligence as a historic shift comparable to the discovery of fire, the creation of written language, and the arrival of wireless connectivity.

But the address moved beyond technological optimism. It focused on a deeper question: what kind of AI civilisation nations are building.

The centrepiece was the unveiling of India’s MANAV vision: a framework that positions AI as a human governance challenge rather than a purely engineering one. The Prime Minister described AI as unprecedented in both speed and scale, arguing that the world is entering a phase where decisions made now will shape long-term societal outcomes.

The framing shifted the summit conversation from capability to responsibility. Instead of asking what AI can do, the address emphasised what societies choose to do with AI.

MANAV: A Governance Blueprint For AI

The MANAV framework outlined five pillars:

• Moral and ethical foundations
• Accountable governance and oversight
• National data sovereignty: “Jiska data, uska adhikar”
• Accessible and inclusive AI
• Valid and legitimate systems that are lawful and verifiable

The structure positions AI policy as architecture rather than regulation alone.

It signals an attempt to define operating principles for large-scale AI deployment across sectors.

Human-Centric AI As A Design Principle

The address repeatedly returned to one idea: humans must remain decision-makers.

AI was described as guidance similar to GPS, while final judgement remains human.

The philosophy aligns with the summit theme: “Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay”: fair for all, best for all.

This reframes AI from an automation narrative to an augmentation narrative.

Global South As The Testing Ground

India’s positioning emphasised accessibility and inclusion, particularly for Global South nations.

The exhibition showcased Made-in-India AI use cases across:

• Agriculture
• Security
• Accessibility for differently-abled communities
• Multilingual systems

AI adoption models emerging in developing economies may influence global deployment patterns.

AI Compared To Nuclear Power

The address drew a parallel between AI and nuclear technology: both transformative, both dependent on direction.

The message was clear: trajectory matters.

Wrong design choices could amplify disruption, while responsible design could deliver large-scale societal benefit.

This introduces a long-term framing rarely highlighted in AI policy discussions: intergenerational responsibility.

Future Of Work: Co-Creation, Not Replacement

The speech positioned AI as a catalyst for new job categories that cannot yet be predicted, echoing how the internet created entirely new industries.

The emphasis was on:

• Co-working between humans and intelligent systems

• Higher-value and creative roles

• Entrepreneurship and new sectors

A mass movement for skilling, reskilling, and lifelong learning was framed as essential infrastructure.

India’s Strategic Positioning In AI

India was presented as uniquely positioned due to:

• The world’s largest youth population
• A large talent base
• Strong adoption capability alongside technology creation
• A growing ecosystem of domestic AI solutions

The narrative suggests India aims to shape both AI usage patterns and governance norms.

The Key Question At The Summit

The address raised a central philosophical shift:

The real question is not what AI will do, but what humanity chooses to do with AI now.

That reframes AI from inevitability to agency.

Designing AI Collectively

The closing message positioned AI as a collaborative project involving governments, industry, and society.

The future of work, the address argued, must be inclusive, trusted, and human-centric.

The MANAV framework signals an attempt to formalise that direction.

In doing so, India is not only participating in the AI race: it is attempting to shape the rules.