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Global AI Governance

Science & Technology

  • PYQs8
  • Articles1
I

Background

AI is a critical emerging technology with profound implications for society, economy, and international relations. India's stance and leadership in shaping global AI governance are vital for its strategic autonomy, economic development, and its role as a voice for the Global South.

Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance refers to the development and implementation of international norms, standards, and regulatory frameworks to manage the development and deployment of AI technologies. It addresses ethical considerations, safety, economic impact, and geopolitical implications, aiming to ensure AI benefits humanity while mitigating risks.

II

Facts & tables

Dominant discourse
Often prioritizes catastrophic/existential risks over present harms, equity, and inclusion.
India's advocacy
Promotes a governance approach rooted in public purpose, user safety, strategic autonomy, and international cooperation, especially for the Global South.
Challenges
Concentration of infrastructure and economic power, data extraction, and slow fundamental innovation in developing countries.
Multilateral platform
The UN Global Dialogue on AI serves as a key forum for defining global governance rules.
Static syllabus anchors
Type Reference
Conceptual area International Relations
Institutions & roles
Body Role
United Nations Facilitates global dialogue and norm-setting
III

Prelims angle

Prelims angle: Statement-based questions

Prelims angle: Factual recall

  • AI governance: global norms for AI development/deployment.
  • India's stance: public purpose, user safety, strategic autonomy, Global South focus.
  • Challenges: power concentration, data extraction, innovation gap.
  • UN Dialogue: key platform for multilateral rule-making.
  • India's opportunity: lead fractured AI policy agenda.
High-confidence PYQ links
Year Framing tags
2026 Statement-based questions, Factual recall
2026 Statement-based questions, Factual recall
2026 Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
2026 Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding
2025 Statement-based questions, Factual recall
2022 Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
2018 Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
2017 Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis

Timeline

  1. International Relations

    Conceptual area

  2. Prelims 2017

    Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis

  3. Prelims 2018

    Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall

  4. Prelims 2022

    Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding

  5. Prelims 2025

    Statement-based questions, Factual recall

  6. Prelims 2026

    Statement-based questions, Factual recall

  7. Prelims 2026

    Statement-based questions, Factual recall

  8. Prelims 2026

    Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall

  9. Prelims 2026

    Statement-based questions, Conceptual understanding

  10. India, AI governance, and a voice for the Global South

    Global AI governance seeks to establish norms for AI development and deployment. India advocates for an inclusive, equitable approach focusing on user safety and strategic autonomy, particularly for the Global South, contrasting with dominant narratives prioritizing existential risks.

See also

Past papers

In the news

thehindu.com

India, AI governance, and a voice for the Global South

Global AI governance seeks to establish norms for AI development and deployment. India advocates for an inclusive, equitable approach focusing on user safety and strategic autonomy, particularly for the Global South, contrasting with dominant narratives prioritizing existential risks.

Try these PYQs

UPSC Prelims 2026 hard Science & Technology Open full page

Consider the following statements with respect to the AI Impact Summit, 2026 held in New Delhi :

1. The Summit's intellectual framework was based on three foundational Sutras : People, Planning, and Progress.
2. The Preamble of the Summit stresses Democratising AI Resources, which acknowledges the Charter for Democratic Diffusion of AI as a binding framework to support locally relevant innovation and strengthen resilient AI ecosystems while respecting national laws.
3. The New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact was structured around seven Chakras (Pillars), which included Access for Social Empowerment, AI for Science, and Secure and Trusted AI.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

UPSC Prelims 2026 medium Science & Technology Open full page

Consider the following statements about Mission Sudarshan Chakra of India:

1. It aims to enhance India's air defence, ballistic missile defence and aerial offensive capabilities.
2. This Mission is being designed to enhance rapid, precise, and powerful defence responses, reinforcing India's strategic autonomy.
3. One of the aims of this Mission is to cover all public places of India by an expanded nationwide security shield by 2035.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

UPSC Prelims 2022 medium Science & Technology Open full page

With reference to Web 3-0, consider the following statements :

1. Web 3-0 technology enables people to control their own data.
2. In Web 3-0 world, there can be blockchain based social networks.
3. Web 3-0 is operated by users collectively rather than a corporation.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

UPSC Prelims 2026 hard Science & Technology Open full page

Which one of the following pairs of semiconductor plants in India and their locations is **not** correctly matched?

| Semiconductor Plant | Location |
|---|---|
| (a) CG Power and Industrial Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in partnership with Renesas Electronics and STARS Microelectronics | Gujarat |
| (b) Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Pvt. Ltd. | Assam |
| (c) HCL-Foxconn Joint Venture India Chip Ltd. | Madhya Pradesh |
| (d) SicSem Pvt. Ltd. | Odisha |

UPSC Prelims 2025 hard International Relations Open full page

Consider the following statements regarding AI Action Summit held in Grand Palais, Paris in February 2025:

I. Co-chaired with India, the event builds on the advances made at the Bletchley Park Summit held in 2023 and the Seoul Summit held in 2024.
II. Along with other countries, US and UK also signed the declaration on inclusive and sustainable AI.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Show 3 more PYQs
UPSC Prelims 2017 hard Science & Technology Open full page

In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cybersecurity incidents?

1. Service providers
2. Data centres
3. Body corporate

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

UPSC Prelims 2018 easy Science & Technology Open full page

In which of the following areas can GPS technology be used?
1. Mobile phone operations
2. Banking operations
3. Controlling the power grids

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

UPSC Prelims 2026 easy Science & Technology Open full page

Which of the following statements with regard to Large Language Models (LLMs) used in machine learning is/are correct ?

1. LLMs assign probabilities to the next possible words and then pick the one with the highest probability.
2. LLMs process data through mathematical optimization to minimise prediction errors.
3. LLMs produce unbiased outputs.

Select the answer using the code given below :