The India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi buzzed with optimism as US Ambassador Sergio Gor, economic deputy Jacob Helberg, and OSTP Director Michael Kratsios addressed the crowd before signing the landmark Pax Silica Declaration—a strategic guidepost for joint futures.
Helberg’s keynote wove history into the present. Alexander the Great, after epic journeys, faced India’s unyielding ‘no,’ a lesson in self-determination. ‘Our democracies thrive on that spark,’ he proclaimed. India and America rejected imperial overreach, colonial wisdom, and scripted destinies, forging paths independently.
Today, that fire combats supply chain frailties and geopolitical pressures. Allies battle economic strangulation; a remote digital act darkened an Indian hub, pitting prosperity against autonomy.
Kratsios detailed US AI preeminence: innovator homeland where Trump reversed restrictive policies favoring diffusion over partnership. The AI Action Plan—innovation, infrastructure, global alliances—drives dominance. AI titans’ caps exceed benchmarks; $700 billion infrastructure bets dwarf lunar exploits.
Gor highlighted India’s core role: talent depth rivals challengers, mineral processing strides align perfectly. US-India synergies will boost AI, fostering secure tech exchange globally. This declaration heralds empowered collaboration, ensuring both nations lead AI’s evolution with confidence and control.