Colonial legacies that have shaped the progress of other digital technologies continue to influence the global AI ecosystem, with Global Majority countries facing risks from the import of AI systems developed without sufficient attention to their lived experiences, priorities, and safety needs. This essay examines the emergence of AI Safety Institutes (AISIs) within the evolving global AI governance landscape and argues for an evidence-based, sociotechnical conception of AI safety. It contends that countries in the Global Majority must be collaborators and designers in shaping how AI is safely and ethically integrated into their societies. Against this backdrop, the essay offers insights into the structure, functions, and role of India’s AISI, arguing that it can develop AI safety approaches grounded in the social, economic, and cultural realities of India and other Global Majority contexts.

This essay by Jhalak Kakkar & Joanne D’Cunha is part of a larger compendium, Strategic Priorities for India: Essays on AI Policy, published by Digital Futures Lab.