What Is ‘Democratic AI’? Sam Altman’s Vision for India Decoded

As India prepares to host a major global gathering on artificial intelligence, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has laid out a detailed roadmap to make the country a global hub for inclusive and accessible AI, backed by expansion plans and closer government partnerships.

What has Sam Altman exactly announced?

In a significant boost to India’s technology ambitions, Altman has hailed the country, the world’s largest democracy, as a potential “full-stack AI leader.” He announced that OpenAI is preparing to expand its footprint and deepen engagement with public institutions.

Ahead of the Global AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Altman wrote in an article published in The Times of India that India has emerged as OpenAI’s second-largest user base globally, behind only the United States. He described this growth as a reflection of India’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem and youthful technology-driven population.

What are Sam Altman’s initiatives all about?

Highlighting OpenAI’s approach to accessibility, Altman stressed that the company is focused on ensuring that artificial intelligence reaches people across income groups and educational backgrounds.

"OpenAI is committed to doing its part to help build AI in India, with India, and for India. We've made our tools available for free so they're accessible to Indians regardless of their income, education, or familiarity with technology. We're also focused on practical, near-term steps that can be taken now to help Indians unlock AI's transformative power,"

He further pointed to initiatives aimed at strengthening civil society and social impact organisations.

"We recently brought more than 200 nonprofit leaders together across four cities in India to learn how to use ChatGPT to extend their teams' capacity and deepen their impact. We opened our first office in Delhi last August and plan to expand our footprint this year,"

These efforts, he said, are aimed at ensuring that AI tools become part of everyday problem-solving across sectors.

What are the new partnerships with the Indian government?

Altman confirmed that he will visit India in the coming days and hinted at major collaborative initiatives with policymakers and public institutions.

they "will soon be announcing new ways of partnering with the Indian government to put access to AI and its benefits within reach for more people across the country."

These partnerships are expected to focus on education, healthcare, public service delivery, and small business empowerment, with the goal of embedding AI into essential services.

Did Sam Altman support user confidence and digital literacy?

Outlining his vision for grassroots-level AI development, Altman presented a three-part framework centred on access, adoption, and agency. He explained that tools must be widely available, integrated into everyday institutions, and supported by user confidence and digital literacy.

According to him: "When these three align, more people can participate not just as users of AI, but as builders and beneficiaries of the growth it enables,"

He argued that this alignment is critical for ensuring that technological progress translates into broad-based economic and social development.

Did Sam Altman praise India’s AI ecosystem?

Altman noted that India now accounts for nearly 100 million weekly active users on OpenAI platforms. He also highlighted that the country has the world’s largest number of students using ChatGPT and ranks fourth globally in the adoption of Prism, OpenAI’s scientific research and collaboration tool.

Praising India’s ecosystem, he said: "India has all the ingredients: homegrown tech talent, a national strategy, and an infectious optimism about what AI can do for the country,"

He added that this combination places India in a strong position to lead the next phase of global AI innovation.

What is IndiaAI Mission and the national strategy?

Emphasising the importance of public policy support, Altman highlighted the government’s IndiaAI Mission and its focus on building national capabilities.

"India gets that we need to use AI to just build things to drive human progress. To that end, the govt's IndiaAI Mission is designed to expand the country's compute capacity, support startups, and accelerate multilingual applications that improve public service delivery, including in healthcare and agriculture…"

He said the mission is designed to ensure that artificial intelligence does not remain limited to early adopters but becomes a core tool for hundreds of millions of citizens.

Altman cautioned against what he termed a “capability overhang,” where access to AI expands rapidly but the skills required to use it effectively remain concentrated among a few.

To address this imbalance, he called for: "AI literacy at scale," focusing on practical proficiency in coding, research, and professional knowledge work. He also underlined that countries investing in computing and energy infrastructure would be best positioned to shape the future of artificial intelligence.

Reflecting on India’s political and social context, Altman said the country is uniquely placed to influence how AI evolves globally.

"AI will help define India's future, and India will help define AI's future. And it will do so in a way only a democracy can,"

He argued that democratic institutions and open public debate can help ensure responsible and ethical AI development.

The India-AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled from February 16 to 20 in New Delhi, will bring together global leaders, policymakers, innovators, and technology executives. The event is expected to host 15 to 20 Heads of Government, over 50 international ministers, and more than 100 CXOs.

Its deliberations will be organised through thematic “Chakras” structured around seven interconnected areas of AI development, governance, and inclusion.

Democratisation of AI, according to Altman, goes beyond access to finished applications and extends to computing power, datasets, and model ecosystems. As these resources become more widely available, individuals and institutions are expanding their capacity to innovate.

In agriculture, AI is helping farmers predict weather patterns, manage pests, and improve irrigation and sowing decisions. In healthcare, it is enabling early disease detection, medical image analysis, and stronger telemedicine networks. In governance, it is improving service delivery and citizen engagement.

India’s full-stack AI approach integrates applications, models, infrastructure, and energy as interconnected national capabilities. Approved in March 2024 with a financial outlay of ₹10,371.92 crore over five years, the IndiaAI Mission is laying the foundation for this integrated strategy.

(With inputs from ANI)