Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy shared a light-hearted and engaging moment during a fireside chat at the British High Commission in New Delhi, blending humour, shared heritage and a serious discussion on artificial intelligence (AI).
Introducing Sunak, Lammy described him as “not just a great son of the United Kingdom, he is also a great son of India.” Sunak quickly corrected him with a smile, saying, “Son-in-law,” drawing laughter from the audience, with Lammy echoing, “Son-in-law!”
Lammy also highlighted his own Indian roots, revealing that his great-grandmother on his mother’s side was from Calcutta. He emphasised the importance of shared heritage and long-standing friendship, noting that despite belonging to different political parties in the UK, he and Sunak have worked closely on common causes.
“Whilst we are on different sides of the political aisle, we can work together and have been friends for many years,” Lammy said. He added that one of his greatest recent pleasures had been collaborating with Sunak on raising awareness about prostate cancer, calling it a meaningful cross-party effort.
The discussion soon turned to artificial intelligence. Lammy referred to Sunak’s initiative in launching the first global AI Summit at Bletchley Park in 2023 and asked why he chose to spotlight AI as a defining global issue.
Sunak responded by stressing the global significance of AI and the need for international cooperation. Earlier, while addressing the AI Impact Summit in India as a keynote speaker, he said there was “no better place” than India to shape the future of artificial intelligence.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing leadership through such global forums. “We do need a regular forum where we can all meet and discuss this technology,” Sunak said, adding that the summit would ensure AI works not just for developed nations but for developing countries as well.
Highlighting the pace of technological change, Sunak noted that while the telephone took 75 years to reach 100 million users and the internet took seven years, ChatGPT reached the same milestone in just two months. He said such rapid adoption underscores the need for safety, regulation and global dialogue.
Sunak recalled that when he launched the AI Leaders’ Summit in 2023, the aim was to bring together world leaders, CEOs and developers to ensure AI evolves in favour of humanity. He emphasised that safety and progress must go hand in hand, adding that public trust will ultimately determine AI’s long-term success.
Placing India at the centre of the global AI conversation, Sunak praised the country’s digital public infrastructure, including Aadhaar, UPI and Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts. He described India’s “India Stack” as a powerful foundation capable of delivering AI-enabled services to 1.4 billion people.
He also lauded India’s thriving startup ecosystem, noting the rise of over 125 unicorns and emerging AI firms such as Sarvam AI. Sunak highlighted India’s culture of frugal innovation and pointed to the country’s space missions as examples of achieving ambitious goals at lower costs.
Citing a recent Stanford University ranking of global AI powers, Sunak said India has now overtaken the UK, underscoring its growing stature in the global AI landscape. He added that unlike rising scepticism in parts of the West, a large majority of Indians remain optimistic about AI’s potential.
The event reflected the strengthening UK-India partnership, with both leaders underlining cooperation in trade, technology and security, while showcasing shared heritage and cross-party collaboration.
