By Igor Patrick Khushboo Razdan
Brics leaders have adopted a new declaration calling for the United Nations to take the lead in setting global rules for artificial intelligence, arguing that the fast-growing technology must not deepen inequalities between developed and developing nations.
The statement, agreed late on Sunday at the summit in Rio de Janeiro, described AI as a 鈥渦nique opportunity鈥 for driving inclusive growth, innovation and sustainability but warned that without fair governance it could widen the digital gap.
It stressed that given the rapid transformations brought about by technology, it would be imperative to develop 鈥渢echnical specifications and protocols鈥 involving the public sector and UN agencies to ensure 鈥渢rust, interoperability, security and reliability鈥 across different AI-powered platforms and applications.
鈥淲e must prevent standard-setting processes from being used as barriers to market entry for small businesses and developing economies,鈥 leaders of the Brics group of emerging economies added.
They also set out voluntary guidelines for the responsible development and use of AI exclusively in non-military domains. They demanded that all countries, especially those in the Global South, have equal access to AI technologies, data and research capacity.
The statement further called for open-source collaboration, the protection of digital sovereignty, fair competition in AI markets and safeguards for intellectual property that do not hinder technology transfer to poorer countries. The leaders highlighted the role of Brics in fighting climate change and supporting economic transitions to low-carbon growth.
鈥淭he benefits of AI for sustainable development must be continuously promoted,鈥 the statement said.
鈥淲e will focus on research, development and innovation initiatives that promote and strengthen local technological capabilities and aspirations and narrow the technology gap between developed and developing countries.鈥
The Brazilian presidency said in a separate statement that the declaration had been unanimously approved by all full Brics members. Malaysia, Bolivia and Cuba, which are Brics partner countries, also backed the initiative.
Earlier on Sunday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva referred to the text as a 鈥渃lear and unequivocal message鈥 on the issue.
In a session on strengthening multilateral cooperation, Lula said that new technologies such as artificial intelligence must be governed by 鈥渁 fair, inclusive and equitable governance model鈥.
鈥淭he development of artificial intelligence cannot become the privilege of a few countries or an instrument of manipulation in the hands of billionaires, [but] neither is it possible to make progress without the involvement of the private sector and civil society organisations,鈥 he said.
The new text comes as a broader agreement on AI involving the US, many of its allies and China remains at an impasse, even as Washington itself has pushed for separate rules on how militaries should use AI.
In February, leaders from more than 100 countries gathered in Paris to endorse a 鈥淪tatement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence鈥, which calls for AI development to be open, transparent and safe for people and the planet.
Despite strong support from Europe and backing from China and India, the US and Britain refused to sign, arguing the text failed to address key national security questions and risked stifling innovation with heavy-handed regulation.
The Paris conference followed an earlier US-led initiative aimed specifically at curbing the use of AI in military operations. Unveiled at The Hague in 2023 and supported by dozens of American allies, the 鈥淧olitical Declaration on Responsible Military Use of AI鈥 set voluntary guidelines for how states develop and deploy autonomous systems in warfare.
China declined to endorse that effort and pushed its own vision for AI governance through the United Nations, a resolution promoting equal access to AI technology, which passed last year with broad support, including from Washington.
The competing declarations underscore how fast-growing technologies like AI have become another arena for contesting influence and standard-setting between the West and China.
Even before US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, Washington has been increasingly curbing Beijing鈥檚 access to advanced technology and pushing allies to do the same, especially in sectors like hi-tech semiconductors critical to training AI models.
In recent years, the US has also loudly voiced concerns about China using the technology to advance its military capabilities.