Role of BRICS in the Global Governance of AI

The arrival of Artificial Intelligence (AI) posits both an opportunity and a challenge for entire humanity. The word ‘Artificial Intelligence’ was first coined by computer scientist John McCarthy in the year 1956 during the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence. But prior to this workshop in 1950, the British Mathematician Alan Turing published his seminal work called ‘Computing Machinery and Intelligence’, and proposed the ‘Imitation Game (now known as the Turing Test), simply to measure if a machine can exhibit human-like intelligence. However, in ancient Greece and during the medieval period, numerous myths brought home anecdotal stories of mechanical man, automatons and forms of artificial beings to the rich heritage of civilizational folklore, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions of different parts of the globe and especially to indigenous peoples. Thus, the invention of AI is not wholly new, but definitely the current explosion of the AI is redefining many critical frontiers of the 21^st century.

The UN and its various agencies including the UN Commission on Human Rights have underlined its coming as both a ‘monumental opportunity for human progress and an unprecedented existential threat that requires urgent global regulation’. Even the UN human Rights Chief Volker Turk warned that humanity is on the ‘cusp of irreversible change’ because the regulations brought by the AI business houses are not sufficient to prevent advanced AI models from circumventing human control. Indeed, it is alarming.

The global governance of AI has reached a critical juncture. Once largely the realm of technical experts, AI has now entered the mainstream public debate. It has firmly established itself as a central issue on the diplomatic agenda in the digital age, amid rapid acceleration of technological innovation and expanding initiatives for its governance and regulation (Garcia, Eugenio V, 2025). Currently, the AI is bringing forth two major aspects to all of us-one, its offering an unassailable advancements in the field of science and technology which humanity had never ever witnessed so far and two, its globetrotting expanse and networking are directly posing an existential threat to humanity at large. And the AI conglomerates are madly expanding its mission to capture every aspect of our life, anything that is existing on this planet earth and much beyond. In truth, the AI tools are trying and getting access to the entire human information network, making us really feel what Thomas Friedman rightly called a decade ago as ‘World is flat’ (2005). What is to be done with AI is a big question in front of humanity now. In this, the initiatives and frameworks designed by the leadership and policy wonks of the BRICS nations may herald a completely new dimension to the global governance of AI. Therefore, its worth discussing how the BRICS, while reaching its two decades of glorious existence and functioning, despite the world facing tumultuous changes, can reshape the existing dialogues, debates and narratives of the contours of international AI framework.

BRICS can Play a Pivotal Role

Succinctly, the BRICS countries need to play a pivotal role in shaping how the Global South governs and develops AI. The group has the advantage of having the two most populous nations of the world-China and India. Together, all the 11 members of the group represent 49.5% of the global population, 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade (Kumar, 2026). This aptly demonstrates the vitality and centrality of the regional grouping in a divided world where more nations are fighting for peripheral interests than trying to address critical global fissures collectively.

As BRICS grows both in membership and global sway, its expansion comes with divisions among its members old and new on how to set the stage for a revised world order (CFR 2025). But then, the BRICS has moved on since its inception on the backdrop of the UN General Assembly in 2006 despite serious internal rivalries among its core members such as China, India and Russia.

The BRICS guidelines for Global AI Governance advocates for a comprehensive perspective that largely dwells on sovereignty, equity, UN-led multilateralism, ethical standards and development-driven AI deployment. Clearly all these aspects have a direct bearing of the needs and priorities of the Global South. Its guidelines appear in several key documents including the Delhi Declaration of 2026:

Charter on Responsible AI (2024)
BRICS Leaders’ Statement on the Global Governance of AI (2025)
BRICS AI Governance Declaration (2025)
Fudan Think Tank Report on BRICS AI Cooperation (2026)

All these documents together outline and emphasize on a coherent AI governance philosophy based on fairness, sovereignty and inclusive development. The latest BRICS Summit at Delhi saw Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the member nations to deepen cooperation on AI, open-source technologies and emerging digital industries. He openly invited all the BRICS members to participate more actively in China-backed AI cooperation initiatives and called for ever greater collaboration on using AI to support business development.

Even Xi also talked about his ‘Five-point Initiative’ that includes:

Establishing an inclusive AI framework;
Facilitating trade and investment;
Deepening digital industry ties;
Advancing intelligent manufacturing and
Launching a joint science and technology development initiative.

Simply, his intention is to air the message that China wants to have a larger role in shaping how the Global South develops and governs AI in the coming days.

In the same vein, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on the importance of responsible AI Governance and the need for a balanced global approach to AI. He called for ethical risks, biases and authenticity issues to be addressed in AI development. He also announced the hosting of an ‘AI Impact Summit’ in 2026, inviting BRICS nations to collaborate on developing responsible AI frameworks and international standards. This initiative aims to ensure transparency and prevent the misuse of digital content.

It is amply clear that Sino-Indian traditional power rivalry will play out loud in the BRICS AI Global Governance framework as both the nations are trying to leverage the group platform to push their own initiatives. But it is time to exercise maximum caution and to project collective strength by New Delhi, Beijing and other members in furthering the BRICS guidelines for Global AI Governance.

How to Manage Big Power Politics

In a nutshell, the entire framework of global governance is currently plagued by very many factors as major powers focus more on national security and continued competitive dominance rather than emphasizing on collective international cooperation. For the last three decades, as the global liberal order is declining with the emerging centres of regional power blocs, a significant trust deficit is fast paralyzing top global bodies like the UN, WTO, WHO etc. Also, rapidly advancing fields such as AI, commercialization of space and quantum computing work almost on their own without a structured international regulatory mechanism as the existing global bodies are yet to come up with a new governance architecture.

Around the same time, the rise of nationalism, populism, global conflicts, economic and technological schism between the US and China, the AI universe is simply adding both chaos and opportunities into the current geopolitical situation. Thus, regional and powerful groupings like the BRICS can certainly offer a breather and a sustainable global AI framework to the whole world.

The BRICS leadership is voicing concern for an ‘equitable digital economy’ wherein the safeguarding of digital sovereignty and fair market regulations will be the cornerstones of future dialogues.

Why BRICS will be Heard

The BRICS grouping and its concerns will be certainly echoing strongly at the highest levels of policy making in all global governance institutions including the UN. While doing so, the Group needs to shed its anti-Western stance including the objectives like de-dollarization as originally conceived. In fact, creating a counterweight to western influence in international organizations may take years.

Much more than the individual concerns of the regional groups like the BRICS and other rights-based organizations, the AI and its latest developments are fast creating a domino effect on individual life and living, especially on the negative lines.

Henceforth, as the BRICS and its top leadership underscored concerns over global issues in its recently concluded 18^th Summit in Delhi, they need to be cautious. Truly speaking, there is no order in the world order now.

While contributing to the existing global AI Governance, the BRICS nations have to downplay their own competing global goals. They are to be more inclusive (which they are vying for) in addressing the agenda, dialogue and policy formulations in AI Governance. Else AI superpowers like the US and its top conglomerates will be having their lions share in research, development and distribution in AI business in the days to come.

Conclusion

The AI and its numerous tools can certainly be harnessed for common good. But emerging and old geopolitical rivalries may complicate the greater good that could be heralded by AI. What else needs to be checked the most both within and outside the BRICS framework is the rising corporate greed that may seriously compromise the original goal behind the development of AI.

For this to be done, the BRICS must emphasize more on cooperation among all the big players in the filed of AI-first to make the algorithms affordable and available for common good and second, to avoid dragging old power rivalries into the AI world. Both are equally challenging. Let’s wait and watch how the BRICS will wade through this conundrum!