Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asked the G-7 Summit in Italy to ensure that technology becomes a tool of social justice and is within everyone’s reach to help expression of human talent and capacity, rather than restricting them.

Addressing the Summit on his first foreign tour after becoming Prime Minister for a third term, he said technology had touched every aspect of human life, and while helping Man reach the Moon, it has brought challenges of cyber security.

He said technology must not become a monopoly of the few but be a right of the many. “This should not be just our desire, but be our responsibility,” he said. “We have to make technology a force of creativity rather than allow it to become a tool of destruction. Only then we will be able to create an inclusive society,” he said.

India has adopted this human-centric approach to create a better future for all, he said. India is one of the first countries to formulate a national strategy on artificial intelligence (AI). Based on this, India has launched an AI Mission this year. AI for all is its basic philosophy, the Prime Minister said.

India is encouraging international cooperation on global partnership for AI, he said.

In the energy sector, India’s strategy is availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability. India is the first country to fulfill all its commitments under COP.

The Prime Minister said countries of the global south suffer the most in the atmosphere of international uncertainties. India has made a resolve to be a developed nation by 2047. The country has decided that none should lag behind in the journey towards Viksit Bharat (developed India). This endeavour of the country is important in terms of international cooperation.

India has always considered it its responsibility to give voice to concerns of the global South on international platforms. Because of this India took up the cause of Africa and made the African Union a permanent member of the G20, the Prime Minister said.

India has just come out of one of the largest electoral exercises in the world and he was proud that people of India had elected him Prime Minister for the third consecutive time to serve the country.

The Prime Minister travelled to Italy to attend the G-7 Outreach Summit in its Apulia region at the invitation of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.