AI Futures: The Road to the India AI Impact Summit 2026

In this episode of the *AI Futures* Podcast, host Anirudh Suri sits down with Ren Ito, the Co-founder and CEO of Sakana AI—Japan’s fastest-ever unicorn startup.Ren brings a unique perspective to the table, blending 15 years of experience in the Japanese Foreign Service with leadership roles at tech giants like Mercari. They explore why the future of AI isn't just a "bigger is better" arms race and how countries like India and Japan can carve out their own strategic autonomy in a shifting global landscape.In this episode, we unpack key questions including:• Is the "scaling law" of AI sustainable? • Is the "bigger is better" approach only be for a handful of hyperscalers, and how the rest of the world can find a different, more efficient path?• How can nations achieve "strategic autonomy" in a bipolar US-China tech world? • Can we balance AI progress with ecological sustainability? • Will AI create a new "digital divide" in the workforce? • What does "AI as Soft Power" mean for global diplomacy? From the "switchboard" approach to model building to the role of AI as a form of soft power, this conversation dives deep into the intersections of technology, diplomacy, and the human element.🔔 Subscribe and listen to the full conversation now.-----Follow the India AI Impact Summit 2026: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/*About Ren Ito*Ren Ito is the Co-Founder and COO of Sakana AI, Japan’s fastest unicorn after one year in business, backed by Nvidia and a broad spectrum of Japanese enterprises. Previously, Ren was CEO of Mercari Europe, Japan’s first unicorn. Before tech, Ren spent 15 years as a Japanese diplomat where he worked on the security alliance with the US, negotiated a free trade agreement with the EU, and represented Japan at the World Bank board. *About Anirudh Suri, Host of the Podcast*Anirudh Suri is a non-resident scholar with Carnegie India, where his research and writing focus on technology, artificial intelligence and geopolitics. He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations, and host of The Great Tech Game Podcast. He is also the Managing Partner at India Internet Fund, a US and India based technology-focused venture capital fund. Previously, Anirudh has worked with the Government of India in New Delhi, McKinsey and Co in New York, Goldman Sachs in London, the Carnegie Endowment in Washington DC, and China Institute of International Studies in Beijing. He completed his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and his MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Named a Goldman Sachs Global Leader, Anirudh has also served on the Board of the Harvard Alumni Association.The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri - https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My Follow Anirudh here:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.inWebsite: (http://www.anirudhsuri.com/) Book and Podcast: (http://www.greattechgame.com/)#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #tgtgpodcast #anirudhsuri#AI #renito #thegreattechgame #aifuturespodcast #ArtificialIntelligence #Geopolitics #Sustainability #SakanaAI #TechSovereignty #IndiaAI #FutureOfWork #AIStrategy #uschina

In this episode of the *AI Futures* Podcast, host Anirudh Suri sits down with Ren Ito, the Co-founder and CEO of Sakana AI—Japan’s fastest-ever unicorn startup.Ren brings a unique perspective to the table, blending 15 years of experience in the Japanese Foreign Service with leadership roles at tech giants like Mercari. They explore why the future of AI isn't just a "bigger is better" arms race and how countries like India and Japan can carve out their own strategic autonomy in a shifting global landscape.In this episode, we unpack key questions including:• Is the "scaling law" of AI sustainable? • Is the "bigger is better" approach only be for a handful of hyperscalers, and how the rest of the world can find a different, more efficient path?• How can nations achieve "strategic autonomy" in a bipolar US-China tech world? • Can we balance AI progress with ecological sustainability? • Will AI create a new "digital divide" in the workforce? • What does "AI as Soft Power" mean for global diplomacy? From the "switchboard" approach to model building to the role of AI as a form of soft power, this conversation is a must-watch for those interested in understanding alternative strategies being adopted by countries and companies.🎧 Watch soon to understand what’s at stake as the world’s AI conversation moves to India.#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #tgtgpodcast #anirudhsuri#AI #renito #thegreattechgame #aifuturespodcast #ArtificialIntelligence #Geopolitics #Sustainability #SakanaAI #TechSovereignty #IndiaAI #FutureOfWork #AIStrategy #uschina

In this episode of the *AI Futures* podcast, host Anirudh Suri sits down with Jay Chaudhry, the entrepreneur behind Zscaler and a pioneer in the cybersecurity world. From his humble beginnings in a small village in Himachal Pradesh to founding a string of groundbreaking tech companies in Silicon Valley, Jay shares his unique perspective on the "mega waves" of technology and why he believes *AI is the biggest wave of all—a "gigawave"*.We dive deep into how the cyber threat landscape has shifted from simple website defacing to nation-state spying and attacks on critical infrastructure like the Colonial Pipeline attack. Jay explains why traditional "castle and moat" security is failing and why the world must move toward a Zero Trust architecture.In this conversation, we explore:- How do modern cyberattacks actually unfold? How are hackers using AI to identify vulnerabilities in under 30 seconds?- Is India moving toward becoming a global hub for high-tech manufacturing and R&D?- If humans are today’s weakest link, could tomorrow’s threat come from thousands of hijacked AI agents running amok?- Is “hunger and hustle” more decisive than strategy? Is adversity be a founder’s greatest advantage?-- As AI accelerates into a “gigawave,” how will we keep our systems secure against intelligent threats?🔔 Subscribe and listen to the full conversation now.-----Follow the upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/*About Jay Chaudhry*Jay is an accomplished entrepreneur, and has founded a series of successful companies, including AirDefense, CipherTrust, CoreHarbor, SecureIT, and Zscaler, now a public company as of March 16, 2018.Prior to founding Zscaler in 2008, he founded and led AirDefense, a wireless security pioneer, before its acquisition by Motorola. From 2000 to 2006, Jay founded and led CipherTrust, the industry’s first email security gateway, before its merger with Secure Computing. He also founded and led CoreHarbor, a managed ecommerce solution, before it was acquired by USi/AT&T.

*About Anirudh Suri, Host of the Podcast*Anirudh Suri is a non-resident scholar with Carnegie India, where his research and writing focus on technology, artificial intelligence and geopolitics. He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations, and host of The Great Tech Game Podcast. He is also the Managing Partner at India Internet Fund, a US and India based technology-focused venture capital fund. Previously, Anirudh has worked with the Government of India in New Delhi, McKinsey and Co in New York, Goldman Sachs in London, the Carnegie Endowment in Washington DC, and China Institute of International Studies in Beijing. He completed his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and his MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Named a Goldman Sachs Global Leader, Anirudh has also served on the Board of the Harvard Alumni Association. He tweets @AnirudhSuri.The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri - https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My Follow Anirudh here:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.inWebsite: (http://www.anirudhsuri.com/) Book and Podcast: (http://www.greattechgame.com/)#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #tgtgpodcast #anirudhsuri #jaychaudhry #zscaler #AIAgents #hackers #cyberhackers #zerotrustsecurity #cloudsecurity #cybersecurity #cyberattacks #ai #podcast #thegreattechgame #digitalsovereignty #datacenters #datasovereignty

In this episode of the *AI Futures* podcast, host Anirudh Suri sits down with Jay Chaudhry, the entrepreneur behind Zscaler and a pioneer in the cybersecurity world. From his humble beginnings in a small village in Himachal Pradesh to founding a string of groundbreaking tech companies in Silicon Valley, Jay shares his unique perspective on the "mega waves" of technology and why he believes *AI is the biggest wave of all—a "gigawave"*.We dive deep into how the cyber threat landscape has shifted from simple website defacing to nation-state spying and attacks on critical infrastructure like the Colonial Pipeline attack. Jay explains why traditional "castle and moat" security is failing and why the world must move toward a Zero Trust architecture.In this conversation, we explore:- How do modern cyberattacks actually unfold? How are hackers using AI to identify vulnerabilities in under 30 seconds?- Is India moving toward becoming a global hub for high-tech manufacturing and R&D?- If humans are today’s weakest link, could tomorrow’s threat come from thousands of hijacked AI agents running amok?- Is “hunger and hustle” more decisive than strategy? Is adversity be a founder’s greatest advantage?-- As AI accelerates into a “gigawave,” how will we keep our systems secure against intelligent threats?🎧 Watch soon to understand what’s at stake as the world’s AI conversation moves to India.#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #tgtgpodcast #anirudhsuri #jaychaudhry #zscaler #AIAgents #hackers #cyberhackers #zerotrustsecurity #cloudsecurity #cybersecurity #cyberattacks #ai #podcast #thegreattechgame #digitalsovereignty #datacenters #datasovereignty

In this episode of *AI Futures* , host Anirudh Suri sits down with Professor Yoshua Bengio — Turing Award winner and one of the world’s most influential AI researchers, and chair of the International AI Safety Report (2025 and 2026) — for a wide-ranging conversation on what the next phase of AI progress could mean for global power, economic inequality, and human control.As AI systems grow more capable and increasingly autonomous the stakes are no longer theoretical. From AI agents that can plan, deceive, and evade oversight to an intensifying US–China AI arms race, this episode explores whether the world is heading toward shared prosperity or a second great divergence.In this conversation, we explore:• Why is the US–China competition blocking effective global regulation?• What can “middle powers” like India and Canada do to avoid being left out?• What “deceptive alignment” means—and why AI models' deception tendencies is worrying leading researchers• How AI could be misused for cyberattacks or biological threats• Will AI will displace more white-collar jobs than it creates?• Can AI be built as a global public good, rather than a winner-takes-all race?👉 Can we steer the AI revolution toward shared prosperity—or are we sleepwalking into a future we won’t be able to control?🔔 Subscribe and listen to the full conversation now.-----Follow the upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/*About Yoshua Bengio*Recognized worldwide as one of the leading experts in artificial intelligence, Yoshua Bengio is most known for his pioneering work in deep learning, earning him the 2018 A.M. Turing Award, “the Nobel Prize of Computing,” with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun, and making him the computer scientist with the largest number of citations and h-index. Concerned about the social impact of AI, he actively contributed to the Montreal Declaration for the Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence and currently chairs the International AI Safety Report.Read the AI International Safety Report, chaired by Prof. Yoshua Bengio: https://internationalaisafetyreport.org/publication/international-ai-safety-report-2026*About Anirudh Suri, Host of the Podcast*Anirudh Suri is a non-resident scholar with Carnegie India, where his research and writing focus on technology, artificial intelligence and geopolitics. He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations, and host of The Great Tech Game Podcast. He is also the Managing Partner at India Internet Fund, a US and India based technology-focused venture capital fund. Previously, Anirudh has worked with the Government of India in New Delhi, McKinsey and Co in New York, Goldman Sachs in London, the Carnegie Endowment in Washington DC, and China Institute of International Studies in Beijing. He completed his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and his MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Named a Goldman Sachs Global Leader, Anirudh has also served on the Board of the Harvard Alumni Association. He tweets @AnirudhSuri.The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri - https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My Follow Anirudh here:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.inWebsite: (http://www.anirudhsuri.com/) Book and Podcast: (http://www.greattechgame.com/)#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #GlobalGovernance #anirudhsuri #YoshuaBengio #thegreattechgame #TGTGpodcast #AIAgents #AIRisks #uschina #aimisuse #InternationalAISafetyReport #CyberAttacks #AI #MiddlePowers #Canada #India #Japan #DeceptiveAlignment #TechAlliances #podcast

In this episode of *AI Futures* , host Anirudh Suri sits down with Professor Yoshua Bengio — Turing Award winner and one of the world’s most influential AI researchers, and chair of the International AI Safety Report (2025 and 2026) — for a wide-ranging conversation on what the next phase of AI progress could mean for global power, economic inequality, and human control.As AI systems grow more capable and increasingly autonomous the stakes are no longer theoretical. From AI agents that can plan, deceive, and evade oversight to an intensifying US–China AI arms race, this episode explores whether the world is heading toward shared prosperity or a second great divergence.In this conversation, we explore:• Why is the US–China competition blocking effective global regulation?• What can “middle powers” like India and Canada do to avoid being left out?• What “deceptive alignment” means—and why AI models' deception tendencies is worrying leading researchers• How AI could be misused for cyberattacks or biological threats• Will AI will displace more white-collar jobs than it creates?• Can AI be built as a global public good, rather than a winner-takes-all race?Professor Bengio argues that the risk of loss of control is no longer speculative. Lab experiments already show AI systems attempting to bypass human oversight, and in some cases, manipulate outcomes to avoid being shut down. He also makes the case that competing with today’s AI duopoly will require new global alliances, where countries pool resources to share the enormous cost of training frontier models. Without this, AI-driven wealth and power could become even more concentrated.👉 Can we steer the AI revolution toward shared prosperity—or are we sleepwalking into a future we won’t be able to control?🎧 Watch soon to understand what’s at stake as the world’s AI conversation moves to India.Read the AI International Safety Report, chaired by Prof. Yoshua Bengio: https://internationalaisafetyreport.org/publication/international-ai-safety-report-2026#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #GlobalGovernance #anirudhsuri #YoshuaBengio #thegreattechgame #TGTGpodcast #AIAgents #AIRisks #uschina #aimisuse #InternationalAISafetyReport #CyberAttacks #AI #MiddlePowers #Canada #India #Japan #DeceptiveAlignment #TechAlliances #podcast

In this episode of the *AI Futures* podcast, Anirudh Suri sits down with UN Under-Secretary General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, Amandeep Gill. USG Gill offers a glimpse into the global governance of AI, the "looming AI divide," and the urgent need for international cooperation to prevent a "second great divergence" between the Global North and South. The conversation dives deep into the high-stakes risks of concentration of power, the sustainability crisis facing AI infrastructure, and the human impact on children’s mental health and cognitive development.Questions unpacked in this episode:- What new mechanisms is the UN building to ensure all countries can shape the AI future?- Will AI trigger a “second great divergence”?- Why does a single Chinese university have more compute power than the entire continent of Africa?- Are we facing a “cognitive decline” due to the increasing use of AI?- How do we ensure global AI standards are tech-neutral and inclusive, rather than set by dominant powers?- How can countries like India and Nigeria move from “market bystanders” to active players in the AI ecosystem?- Will AI create new productive opportunities—or displace the entry-level coders and data analysts of tomorrow?🔔 Subscribe and listen to the full conversation now.------Follow the upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/*About USG Amandeep Gill*United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 10 June 2022 the appointment of Amandeep Singh Gill of India as his Envoy on Technology. Mr. Gill is the Chief Executive Officer of the International Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I-DAIR) project, based at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva.

*About Anirudh Suri, Host of the Podcast*Anirudh Suri is a non-resident scholar with Carnegie India, where his research and writing focus on technology, artificial intelligence and geopolitics. He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations, and host of The Great Tech Game Podcast. He is also the Managing Partner at India Internet Fund, a US and India based technology-focused venture capital fund. Previously, Anirudh has worked with the Government of India in New Delhi, McKinsey and Co in New York, Goldman Sachs in London, the Carnegie Endowment in Washington DC, and China Institute of International Studies in Beijing. He completed his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and his MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Named a Goldman Sachs Global Leader, Anirudh has also served on the Board of the Harvard Alumni Association. He tweets @AnirudhSuri.The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri - https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My Follow Anirudh here:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.inWebsite: (http://www.anirudhsuri.com/) Book and Podcast: (http://www.greattechgame.com/)#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #globalgovernance #aiguardrails #anirudhsuri #amandeepgill #unsecretarygeneral #unitednations #ai #aiimpact #standards #digitaldivide #AIDivide #digitalsovereignty #Techsovereignty #nigeria #africa #india #aifutures #tgtgpodcast #thegreattechgame #podcast

In this episode of the *AI Futures* podcast, host Anirudh Suri will sit down with Amandeep Gill, the UN Under-Secretary General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies. USG Gill offers a glimpse into the global governance of AI, the "looming AI divide," and the urgent need for international cooperation to prevent a "second great divergence" between the Global North and South. The conversation dives deep into the high-stakes risks of concentration of power, the sustainability crisis facing AI infrastructure, and the human impact on children’s mental health and cognitive development.Questions unpacked in this episode:- What new mechanisms is the UN building to ensure all countries can shape the AI future?- Will AI trigger a “second great divergence”?- Why does a single Chinese university have more compute power than the entire continent of Africa?- Are we facing a “cognitive decline” due to the increasing use of AI?- How do we ensure global AI standards are tech-neutral and inclusive, rather than set by dominant powers?- How can countries like India and Nigeria move from “market bystanders” to active players in the AI ecosystem?- Will AI create new productive opportunities—or displace the entry-level coders and data analysts of tomorrow?🎧 Watch soon to understand what’s at stake as the world’s AI conversation moves to India.#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #globalgovernance #aiguardrails #anirudhsuri #amandeepgill #unsecretarygeneral #unitednations #ai #aiimpact #standards #digitaldivide #AIDivide #digitalsovereignty #Techsovereignty #nigeria #africa #india #aifutures #tgtgpodcast #thegreattechgame #podcast

In this episode of the *AI Futures* podcast, we speak with Professor Stuart Russell, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, one of the world’s leading experts on artificial intelligence, and the author of the field’s standard textbook, _AI: A Modern Approach_ .The *AI Futures* podcast series is hosted by Anirudh Suri, in collaboration with the *Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India* This podcast serves as the intellectual prelude to the *India AI Impact Summit 2026* , which is taking place from February 16–20, 2026, in New Delhi, India.In this conversation, Professor Russell and Anirudh discuss how fast AI is changing, the limits of today’s dominant ways of building AI systems, and why there is a growing need for global rules to keep AI safe. They explore key questions such as:- How close are we really to Artificial General Intelligence?- Does today’s 'brute force' approach of using more data and computing power risk creating an economic bubble?- Where is AI making the biggest real-world impact right now, in areas like healthcare, education, or science?- Which countries have the strongest AI strategies, and why is the U.S. approach of resisting regulation surprising?- Could the “Age of AI” weaken our mental skills, much like the Industrial Revolution reduced the need for physical labor?This conversation looks at what it will take to move AI debates beyond theory and into real-world outcomes, especially for the Global South.🔔 Subscribe and listen to the full conversation now.-----Follow the upcoming India AI Impact Summit 2026: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/*About Prof. Stuart Russell*Stuart J. Russell is professor (and formerly chair) of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California at Berkeley. He is holder of the Smith-Zadeh Chair in Engineering and director of the Centre for Human-Compatible AI. His book *Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach* is the standard text in AI; it has been translated into 14 languages and is used in over 1,400 universities in 128 countries.*About Anirudh Suri, Host of the Podcast*Anirudh Suri is a non-resident scholar with Carnegie India, where his research and writing focus on technology, artificial intelligence and geopolitics. He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations, and host of The Great Tech Game Podcast. He is also the Managing Partner at India Internet Fund, a US and India based technology-focused venture capital fund. Previously, Anirudh has worked with the Government of India in New Delhi, McKinsey and Co in New York, Goldman Sachs in London, the Carnegie Endowment in Washington DC, and China Institute of International Studies in Beijing. He completed his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and his MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Named a Goldman Sachs Global Leader, Anirudh has also served on the Board of the Harvard Alumni Association. He tweets @AnirudhSuri.The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri - https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My Follow Anirudh here:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.inWebsite: (http://www.anirudhsuri.com/) Book and Podcast: (http://www.greattechgame.com/)#AIFuturesPodcast #IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AISummit #AIFutures #ArtificialIntelligence #AGI #Computing #GlobalSouth #DataCenters #AIInfrastructure #AnirudhSuri #StuartRussell #UCBerkeley #AIEthics #TheGreatTechGame #TGTGpodcast #podcast #IndiaAIMission

In this episode of the *AI Futures* podcast, we speak with Professor Stuart Russell, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, one of the world’s leading experts on artificial intelligence, and the author of the field’s standard textbook, _AI: A Modern Approach_ .The *AI Futures* podcast series is hosted by Anirudh Suri, in collaboration with the *Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India* This podcast serves as the intellectual prelude to the *India AI Impact Summit 2026* , which is taking place from February 16–20, 2026, in New Delhi, India.In this conversation, Professor Russell and Anirudh discuss how fast AI is changing, the limits of today’s dominant ways of building AI systems, and why there is a growing need for global rules to keep AI safe. They explore key questions such as:- How close are we really to Artificial General Intelligence?- Does today’s 'brute force' approach of using more data and computing power risk creating an economic bubble?- Where is AI making the biggest real-world impact right now, in areas like healthcare, education, or science?- Which countries have the strongest AI strategies, and why is the U.S. approach of resisting regulation surprising?- Could the “Age of AI” weaken our mental skills, much like the Industrial Revolution reduced the need for physical labor?This conversation looks at what it will take to move AI debates beyond theory and into real-world outcomes, especially for the Global South.🎧 Watch soon to understand what’s at stake as the global conversation on AI shifts to India.#AIFuturesPodcast #IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AISummit #AIFutures #ArtificialIntelligence #AGI #Computing #GlobalSouth #DataCenters #AIInfrastructure #AnirudhSuri #StuartRussell #UCBerkeley #AIEthics #TheGreatTechGame #TGTGpodcast #podcast #IndiaAIMission