Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis meets IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at WEF 2026

Google Deepmind CEO and co-founder Demis Hassabis met India’s Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Hassabis shared details of the meeting in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), saying he enjoyed the discussion on AI’s potential to benefit humanity and highlighted India’s importance in realising that goal. The meeting, he said, focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and India’s growing role in shaping global AI development. He also said he looked forward to continuing the conversation at the upcoming AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.


“Great to meet you Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw. Really enjoyed our discussion on AI’s incredible potential to benefit humanity & India’s important role in realising this,” Hassabis wrote, adding that he looks forward to further discussions at the summit.

Discussion on India’s role in global AI

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also shared details of the meeting in a separate post on X. He said the discussion included India’s role in shaping AI for global good. The meeting also included Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer at OpenAI.


“Met Mr. Demis Hassabis, CEO & Co-founder, Google DeepMind and Mr. Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer, OpenAI, at WEF, Davos,” Vaishnaw wrote. He added that he encouraged active participation in the AI Impact Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi in February 2026.

AI Impact Summit in New Delhi

The AI Impact Summit is scheduled to be held in Delhi next month. The summit is expected to bring together global technology leaders, policymakers and researchers to discuss the responsible development and use of AI. India has been positioning itself as a key player in global AI governance, with a focus on public interest applications, digital infrastructure and inclusive growth.


Further details on the AI Impact Summit agenda and participants are expected to be announced closer to the event.