Global leaders at the summit said artificial intelligence is evolving into a pillar of national strategy, not just technology. Speakers from NVIDIA and Mozilla stressed sovereign infrastructure, open innovation, and long-term ecosystem building, while India’s India AI Mission advances indigenous models, data capacity, and inclusive digital growth.
NVIDIA, Mozilla Voices Highlight Shift Toward Sovereign and Open AI
New Delhi: The global technological landscape is rapidly changing, and artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool but a crucial component of national sovereignty and strategy. Speaking at the AI India Impact Summit, NVIDIA's VP of Sovereign AI, Calista Redmond, stated that many countries, including India, are now focusing not on a single AI application, but on the entire technology stack - hardware, models, and infrastructure. According to her, nations are preparing to play the "long game," where the goal is to build sustainable technological capabilities.
Redmond explained that governments are no longer limited to purchasing software, but are increasing investments in developing local data, computing capacity, and physical infrastructure. This approach, called "Sovereign AI," involves large language models trained on local datasets by local teams. These models provide countries with both technological self-reliance and security.
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At the summit, Mozilla President Mark Surman described the centralization of AI as a major threat. He stated that open web and open source technology give countries the freedom to innovate on their own terms. While there are challenges, open source technology has long been a vehicle for equal opportunities and will continue to play a key role in protecting digital sovereignty in the future.
The Indian government's India AI Mission advances this vision. It aims to democratize access to computing, develop a high-quality data ecosystem, and indigenous AI capabilities. The 12 Indian startups selected under the mission are developing foundation models based on Indian languages and local needs, providing better technical support to the country's linguistic diversity.
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Experts believe that AI should not be used only experimentally, but to enhance productivity, improve efficiency, and create a multiplier effect on the economy. Redmond's statement that countries are looking at the "full AI story" indicates that AI is no longer limited to the IT sector but has become a central element of national policy and development agendas.
For countries like India, an inclusive, secure and self-reliant AI framework will determine the future direction.
