India’s AI mission to ensure machines learn ethics, not just logic: I&B Secy Sanjay Jaju

New Delhi: India’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) mission is not merely about building technological capability but ensuring that machines “learn not just logic, but ethics,” said Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 

Positioning India as a nation where technology and tradition converge, Jaju said the country’s growing influence on the world is anchored in values, culture and inclusivity, making it a power centre of stability in uncertain times. 

He argued that while most nations are focused on technological dominance, India’s goal is to ensure that innovation remains grounded in conscience and collective good.

“Machines must learn not just logic, but ethics,” Jaju said, calling it the defining element of India’s approach to artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. He emphasised that this principle sets India apart in a rapidly changing digital world, where influence must be matched by integrity.

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, Jaju opened with a wide civilisational sweep, saying India’s reach runs “from the chants of the Rig Veda to the codes of UPI.” He said that continuity combined with creativity gives India a quiet confidence in an age of noise and disruption. 

“Hard power can protect borders, but it cannot build bridges. It can win wars, but it cannot win hearts,” he told the assembled policymakers, diplomats and media figures.

The secretary laid out a three-pronged framework explaining what makes Indian soft power distinct: 

First, on cultural influence, Jaju pointed to Yoga and Ayurveda as universal practices of wellness, while festivals like Diwali and Holi are now celebrated in more than 100 countries. He highlighted India’s storytelling legacy from Satyajit Ray to contemporary filmmakers and said Indian music, craft and cinema have turned culture into a global conversation.

Second, on technological influence, Jaju described India’s digital public infrastructure (Aadhaar, UPI, CoWIN and ONDC) as open-source models of inclusion now studied by other nations. “Our software is not just code, but conviction,” he said, adding that such systems have turned domestic scale into international credibility, offering a practical model for equitable digital governance.

Third, on values and diplomacy, he said India’s civilisational ethos, reflected in ideas like ahimsa, satyagraha and sarvodaya, continues to inform global moral debates. Citing the G20 presidency motto, “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” he said it captured India’s commitment to inclusivity and balance, helping secure global consensus amid polarisation.

Jaju also highlighted the creative economy as a pillar of this strategy. Referring to the first WAVES (World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit) hosted in India, he said it brought together more than 100 countries and over 3,000 companies to “connect creators, connecting countries.” 

The event, he added, demonstrated how culture can act as collaboration and commerce can serve as conversation.

The Indian diaspora, he said, plays a crucial role in expanding this influence. With nearly 35 million Indians living across 200 countries, Jaju described them as “ambassadors of ability” who turn cultural signals into global celebration, from Diwali at city halls to Indian films and music finding new audiences abroad.

He concluded with a call to industry and creators to package this influence as Brand India, urging that every product, partnership and piece of content reflect quality, credibility and conscience. “When Bharat speaks, the world listens, not out of fear, but out of faith,” he said. 

“Not from compulsion, but from conviction.”