📘 IAS Prelims 2025 — GS-I | Q.95 | Classroom Explanation
(Science & Technology | Artificial Intelligence | Global Governance)

📌 Question

Q.95)
Consider the following statements regarding the AI Action Summit held at Grand Palais, Paris in February 2025:

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

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) I only
(b) II only
(c) Both I and II
(d) Neither I nor II

✅ Correct Answer: (a) I only

🧑‍🏫 Classroom Explanation

This is a high-quality current affairs question where UPSC tests:

• continuity of global AI governance,
• India’s norm-setting role, and
• awareness of strategic non-signatories.

Let us break it cleanly.

🌍 AI Action Summit, Paris 2025 — Context

• Held on 10–11 February 2025
• Venue: Grand Palais, Paris
• Co-chaired by France and India
• Focus:
  • Responsible AI
  • Inclusive & sustainable development
  • Global cooperation beyond Big Tech dominance

📌 India’s co-chairing marks its transition from AI user → AI norm-shaper

🔍 Statement-wise Analysis

🔹 Statement I
Co-chaired with India, the event builds on Bletchley Park (2023) and Seoul (2024). ✅

✔️ Correct

Why?

• Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (UK, 2023)
  • First global summit on AI safety risks
  • Focus on frontier AI & existential risks
• Seoul AI Summit (2024)
  • Shifted focus to implementation, cooperation, and inclusion
• Paris AI Action Summit (2025)
  • Carried forward both:
    • safety discourse (Bletchley)
    • inclusion & global south participation (Seoul)

📌 Hence, Paris Summit is a logical institutional progression

🔹 Statement II
US and UK also signed the declaration on inclusive and sustainable AI. ❌

🚫 UPSC Trap Alert

• The “Inclusive & Sustainable AI Declaration” was supported by:
  • India
  • France
  • EU members
  • Several Global South countries

❌ BUT:

• United States ❌
• United Kingdom ❌

Both declined to sign, citing:

• National security concerns
• Preference for flexible, non-binding AI governance
• Reluctance to accept multilateral constraints on frontier AI

📌 Classic UPSC angle:

Who stayed out matters as much as who signed.

🧠 Why Option (a) is Correct

✔️ Statement I — correct
❌ Statement II — incorrect

➡️ Answer: (a) I only

⭐ Additional High-Value Points (Prelims Ready)

• India projected itself as:
  • Voice of Global South in AI
  • Advocate of development-first AI
• Paris Summit stressed:
  • AI for public good
  • AI in health, climate, education
• Declaration was non-binding, yet politically significant
• US–UK position shows:
  • Strategic divergence between AI safety and AI sovereignty

🧠 One-Line Memory Hook (Prelims Gold)

“Paris built bridges, but the US and UK stayed outside the AI declaration hall.”

📍 GS Mapping

Emerging Technologies & Global Governance

GS Paper I

Science & Technology