BRICS Science Academies Forum 2026 on AI for sustainable development

India's INSA hosted the first BRICS Science Academies Forum 2026 on AI for sustainable development and Global South cooperation. Ten nations reviewed a draft declaration, stressing shared infrastructure, data platforms, and responsible AI use.

The Indian National Science Academy (INSA), as part of India's BRICS Presidency 2026, convened the first meeting of the BRICS Science Academies Forum 2026 virtually under the theme "Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Development and Strengthening Global South Cooperation."

According to the Ministry of Science & Technology, the forum brought together science academies from ten nations-Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, Belarus, Nigeria and Vietnam-to advance a shared declaration on responsible and equitable AI development.

Forum's Vision and Objectives

The meeting was moderated by Debashis Mitra, Vice President (International), INSA, who led structured discussions among participating academies. In his welcome remarks, he noted that the forum is being organised as part of India's BRICS Presidency 2026 under the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability," and highlighted INSA's role in advancing the scientific agenda.

INSA President Shekhar C Mande said, "This forum aspires to move beyond dialogue. AI must become a practical instrument for inclusive and sustainable development across the Global South."

Draft Declaration on AI

During the meeting, a draft declaration on AI for science and sustainable development was reviewed and strengthened, with consensus emerging on shared computing infrastructure, collaborative data platforms and multilingual AI models. Calls were also made for joint task forces, researcher mobility schemes and open-source scientific infrastructure.

The draft declaration was presented by Ambuj Sagar, Founding Head, School of Public Policy, IIT Delhi, who highlighted issues around unequal distribution of AI capacity and the widening digital divide. The declaration aims to use AI to accelerate scientific discovery in areas such as materials science, drug development, climate modelling and engineering, while ensuring equitable benefits for the Global South.

Country-Specific Recommendations

Participating academies provided several recommendations. China's Chinese Academy of Sciences called for collaborative AI readiness benchmarks, scientific data-sharing frameworks, open-source infrastructure and responsible AI evaluation mechanisms addressing bias, reliability and local context. Egypt's ASRT emphasised AI's potential in food security, healthcare, education, energy and climate change, along with investments in research and capacity building. Indonesia highlighted AI's role in disaster risk management and sustainable agriculture, while Ethiopia called for cooperation in cybersecurity and digital safety. Vietnam proposed joint task forces and shared digital public infrastructure, and Nigeria stressed AI applications for scientific innovation and governance. South Africa supported open-source AI models and raised concerns on costs and social science aspects, while Belarus focused on responsible AI use in healthcare and cybersecurity.

Key Areas of Consensus and Future Steps

Summarising the discussions, Anurag Agrawal, Vice-President (Science Policy), INSA, said, "South-South BRICS cooperation in AI can bring change in a far more equitable way, one that leads to genuinely sustainable development." He identified key areas of consensus including shared computing infrastructure, open data ecosystems, technology sovereignty, energy-efficient data centres, human resource development and multilingual AI resources.

The meeting also reaffirmed the importance of integrating humanities and social sciences into AI development, along with the need for ethical standards, governance frameworks and strong data-sharing mechanisms for trustworthy AI systems.

According to the announcement, the recommendations will be included in a revised draft declaration, and delegations from BRICS countries and partner nations will meet in person at IIT Hyderabad on July 22-23, 2026, where the declaration is expected to be finalised. (ANI)

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