'AI can't yet fix Delhi's traffic': Rishi Sunak
What's the story
Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a light-hearted comment about Delhi's notorious traffic during a joint session at the British High Commission, which was part of the events surrounding the India AI Impact Summit. He said, "AI can do many things, as we've heard this week, but it can't yet fix Delhi's traffic." The remark was made after he arrived late to the session due to heavy traffic congestion in the city.
Twitter Post
'AI can do many things...': Former UK PM Rishi Sunak
#WATCH | Delhi: Former UK PM Rishi Sunak says, "...AI can do many things as we've heard this week, but it can't yet fix Delhi's traffic..."
— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2026
"...But what this week has been is just a showcase of the extraordinary, not just the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, but the energy… pic.twitter.com/1R0zdfXs4F
AI advancements
Sunak lauds India as rising AI superpower
Sunak also praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making India a rising AI superpower. He said India has moved into "one of the medal positions as an AI superpower in the world," according to Stanford University's global rankings. The former PM noted that India has leapfrogged the UK in this race, although he couldn't resist a cheeky comment about England's lead in ICC test rankings.
Light-hearted moment
'Great son of UK, great son of India'
During the summit, UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy introduced Sunak as "a great son of the United Kingdom and also a great son of India." To this, Sunak corrected him with a smile: "Son-in-law," which drew laughter from the audience. Lammy also spoke about his own Indian roots, revealing that his great-grandmother was from Calcutta.
Digital progress
Sunak praises India's digital public infrastructure
The India AI Impact Summit 2026 is a significant global AI summit in the Global South, with representatives from over 110 countries. Sunak praised India's digital public infrastructure, such as Aadhaar, UPI, and Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts. He said these initiatives make India uniquely positioned to lead the next phase of global AI development.