Big Tech has been openly and aggressively pushing countries to adopt artificial intelligence. In India alone, Microsoft has commited $17.5 billion to develop AI infrastructure over the next four years, while Amazon has one-upped the software giant with a $35-billion pledge for AI-driven digitisation and cloud infrastructure.
However, the rapid pace at which AI is being promoted has unsettled regulators and civil society groups, with some accusing Big Tech of only serving corporate interests and warning governments against deepening their dependence on the Global North.
At a recent public dialogue on The Evolving Politics of AI Governance, hosted in New Delhi by the embassies of France and the Netherlands, in collaboration with digital civil rights-focused non-profit Access Now, panellists noted Big Tech has been sidestepping the idea of putting checks and balances against AI in the race to be on top.
“It’s a race everyone wants to win, regardless of what they actually want from the technology,” the panellists observed in the discussion held under the Chatham House Rules.
They flagged that India is being projected as the next major AI destination without sufficient consideration of local needs. “AI is not a magic solution to all problems. Healthcare apps won’t fix the fact that India spends less than 2% of its GDP on healthcare. We are also building data centres in drought-prone areas—are we not reinforcing dependence on the Global North?” they pondered.
Moreover, Big Tech companies tend to avoid scrutiny and liability due to the “black box” nature of complex AI models and to protect IP amid competitive pressure. Recent incidents, such as xAI’s Grok AI chatbot generating sexualised deepfakes of women and SaaS company Workday facing a lawsuit for its AI hiring tools allegedly discriminating against certain demographics, have catapulted the issue.
Calls for post-model testing, panellists noted, were increasingly framed as being anti-innovation. “We speak of AI sovereignty, yet quietly become dependent on Big Tech. Why is digital public infrastructure being rebranded? Why is deregulation central to Big Tech’s agenda? These questions must be answered before embracing AI wholesale,” the speakers noted.
Regulations Haven’t Worked
The panellists argued that existing regulatory approaches have been insufficient.
“Self-regulation has not worked in the tech sector and never will. For Big Tech, reputational harm matters more than social harm, and regulation must address that,” they said.
Moreover, AI monopolies pose risks to democracy and national security. According to a Trends Research & Advisory study, the concentration of the AI value chain in the hands of a few Big Tech companies—Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta—has fostered vertical integration and network effects that restrict competition and limit bottom-up innovation.
The panellists also raised concerns that industrial policy is not aligning with AI governance frameworks.
“We do not want to repeat the mistakes made with social media 15 years ago, where the debate now centres on banning platforms. We should adopt AI and GenAI more cautiously and assess long-term consequences. Different stakeholders have different responsibilities, and they must act accordingly,” the speakers said.
The Way Forward
Panellists called for non-monopolistic pathways for AI development to prevent Big Tech from continuing to act as kingmakers. Regulations, they argued, should focus on core technology infrastructure. Suggestions included breaking up cloud businesses, tightening scrutiny of acquisitions, and mandating detailed ‘bills of materials’ for AI systems, covering data sources, labour conditions, and legal frameworks.
On India’s role, speakers stressed the need for the country to emerge as a leader of the Global South through varied forms of cooperation—not just North–South, but also South–South, including partnerships with regions such as Africa. Expanding renewable energy use, they said, would be critical to offset the growing energy demands of data centres.
The panellists also urged greater transparency and substance from global AI summits. “Ethics, equity and ecology must be on the table. Industry should be left off it,” they said.
The event featured opening remarks by Anne Bouverot, France’s special envoy for AI and a concluding address by Damien Syed, deputy chief of mission at the French Embassy in New Delhi. It was attended by Arthus Barichard, deputy ambassador of France for digital affairs; Deepak Maheshwari, senior policy advisor at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress and a member of the public affairs advisory board at Palo Alto Networks; Isha Suri, European AI & Society Fund Fellow and former research lead at the Centre for Internet Society; Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia-Pacific policy director at Access Now; Astha Kapoor, co-founder at Aapti Institute; and Amba Kak, co-executive director at AI Now Institute.
The session was moderated by Huib Mijnarends, deputy ambassador to India at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Radhika Mittal, research programme manager and impact lead for the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies project, the Netherlands.
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