G20 Troika Leaders Endorse Digital Public Infrastructure and AI for Inclusive Development

India, Brazil, South Africa agree to use digital public infrastructure, AI and data for governance

Leaders from the G20 Troika - India, Brazil, and South Africa - released a joint declaration emphasizing the role of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and AI in achieving inclusive and sustainable development. They highlighted the potential of these technologies to transform lives, create jobs, and improve healthcare and education outcomes, particularly in the context of sluggish global economic growth.Leaders from the G20 Troika - India, Brazil and South Africa - unveiled a landmark joint declaration on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Artificial Intelligence and data for governance amid global economic growth at just over 3%, its lowest rate since the turn of the century. Accelerating progress towards the SDGs requires inclusive digital transformation. The experiences of several G20 countries have demonstrated that well-designed DPI augmented by AI can enable the use of data for development, creating new jobs and delivering better health and education outcomes, the statement read. "Their adoption by G20 countries more widely has the potential to radically transform the lives of citizens, thereby renewing their faith in vibrant democratic principles. In this context, we recall the adoption of Global Digital Compact at the UN Summit of the Future. We also welcome the Global DPI Summit held in Egypt in 2024," according to the joint declaration. The benefits of growth with job creation can only be unlocked when technological systems focus on each citizen, enabling small and large businesses to connect to them to improve the livelihood of families and neighbourhoods. This happens when such systems are inclusive, development-oriented, secure and designed to respect the privacy of individuals, the declaration pointed out.

India, Brazil and South Africa agrees to use digital public infra and AI to bridge global inequality gap

This declaration, endorsed by several G20 countries, guest nations, and international organisations, underscores the potential of technology to bridge global inequalities and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Amid global economic growth stagnating at just over 3 per cent--its lowest rate since the turn of the century--leaders from the G20 Troika, comprising India, Brazil, and South Africa, unveiled a visionary joint declaration on digital public infrastructure (DPI), artificial intelligence (AI), and data for governance. According to the PMO, this declaration, endorsed by several G20 countries, guest nations, and international organisations, underscores the potential of technology to bridge global inequalities and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The communique highlighted the pivotal role of well-designed DPI and AI in fostering equitable digital transformation. Drawing on successful experiences in G20 countries, the leaders emphasised that technology, if inclusively deployed, could create new jobs, enhance health and education outcomes, and rebuild citizens' trust in democratic governance. The declaration stated that the technology is advancing at a dizzying pace. If equitably deployed, it offers us a historic opportunity to raise growth, reduce inequality, and take a giant step towards achieving the SDGs. Welcoming global initiatives such as the Global Digital Compact adopted at the UN Summit of the Future and the 2024 Global DPI Summit in Cairo, Egypt, the leaders stressed that inclusive, development-orientated, and secure technological systems are crucial for empowering citizens and businesses alike. The declaration proposed that digital systems adhere to foundational principles--open, modular, interoperable, and scalable--to ensure inclusivity and adaptability to evolving national needs. These systems must focus on citizens, enabling businesses of all sizes to connect seamlessly and enhance livelihoods at the grassroots level. The communique also called for a technology-neutral approach, fostering competition and innovation, reducing digital economic asymmetries, and ensuring fair deployment of DPI and AI. The leaders emphasized the need for robust data governance frameworks to safeguard privacy, security, and intellectual property rights while ensuring fair market practices. Transparent and equitable data management principles, they argued, are central to building trust in technological systems. The declaration asserted that trust is the cornerstone of flourishing democracies, and the same applies to technological systems. Transparency, safeguards, and fairness are indispensable. Recognizing the transformative potential of AI, the communique urged the development of foundational and frontier AI models trained on diverse and representative datasets.