Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, on Saturday, offered a candid reflection on the growing influence of artificial intelligence in global diplomacy during a conversation with NDTV's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal at the HT Leadership Summit.
Responding to a question on how AI is recasting diplomatic practice and how foreign services are adapting to these technological shifts, Jaishankar recounted his first brush with the technology's reach.
“Well, you know, the first impact of it I saw was when more pieces of paper began arriving on my desk, which looked more like me, till I discovered it was ChatGPT,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Kanwal pressed further, asking whether his team had effectively “coded” him into the system and whether this was a welcome development. Jaishankar said the answer was not straightforward.
While acknowledging the usefulness of AI systems, he highlighted their limits as well. “It's a good thing because in many ways it captures everything you have done,” he said. “The problem is that it doesn't capture what you intend to do, which may be radically different from what your past record is. So it's a projection. It's not always a prognostication,” he added.
Kanwal also mentioned that when he fed certain questions into ChatGPT, the platform predicted what Jaishankar's likely responses would be. The minister just laughed it off, likely signalling that while AI may be learning from his public profile, it is far from capturing the instinct and judgement that drive real-world diplomacy.
From Tech To India-US Trade Relations
Moving from technology to economics, Jaishankar addressed the prospects of an India-US trade deal, dismissing concerns over differences between the two nations. He said that India must firmly safeguard its interests.
“We believe there can be a landing point for our respective trade interests. It is something that will be negotiated hard. For us, the interests of the workers, farmers, and the middle class matter. When we look at trade agreements with the US, we must be judicious,” he said.
Jaishankar also clarified that communication with Washington is active and ongoing, highlighting engagement as key to resolving disputes. Calling trade the “most important issue with the US,” he expressed confidence that a reasonable agreement could be reached soon.
