AI for Impact Summit 2026 — Day 2: FAO takes a central role in scaling AI for public good

On Day 2 of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) joined the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) for the high-level session: “From Evidence to Scaled Development Solutions.

From innovation pilots to systemic deployment

Across the discussion, speakers converged on a key message also reflected in the Rome-based Agencies’ joint announcement: scaling AI requires financing, governance frameworks, and digital public infrastructure — not just technology. In fact, Vincent Martin, Director of the Office of Innovation at FAO, said, "AI has enormous potential, but only when it is rigorously tested, responsibly governed, and supported with the right financing to scale what actually works. At FAO, we never begin with technology; we begin with the problem. Only when AI demonstrably improves outcomes for farmers, communities or institutions does it earn its place”

The panel emphasized that moving beyond fragmented pilots toward system-wide adoption is essential for tackling food insecurity, climate risks and humanitarian crises at scale — a conclusion echoed in summit coverage highlighting the need for institutional capacity, inclusive investment and policy alignment.

FAO perspective — scaling through access, data governance and responsibility

During the session, Vincent Martin stressed the strategic importance of AI for science and development outcomes: “I think we would lose speed, we'll lose precision and we would lose foresight… without AI today we would miss some major discovery.”

He highlighted a structural bottleneck in scaling innovation globally: “The biggest challenge… is not a lack of solutions… but a lack of opportunity for connecting people and stakeholders together.” This aligns with summit discussions emphasizing that access, affordability and institutional coordination are central to scaling AI in low- and middle-income countries.

On FAO’s operational approach, he explained how AI is used to make innovation ecosystems navigable and actionable: “We need to find solutions based on AI that are accessible and affordable… the role of FAO is really to close this gap.”

He also underscored responsible deployment through localized data governance — a priority echoed across summit policy discussions: “We are using very specific data set which are relevant to the local places where the farmers will access these services.”

Finally, he stressed that technology adoption must remain grounded in human values and inclusive delivery systems: “The human dimension and the values we bring into this AI powered solutions is absolutely essential.”

FAO shared its roadmap for scaling AI for public good:

Across interventions, the session identified three enabling conditions for scaling AI responsibly:

• financing aligned with national digital ecosystems and infrastructure
• governance frameworks ensuring accountability and trust
• partnerships connecting innovation ecosystems with local needs

These priorities reflect a broader summit consensus that AI can become a transformative force for food security and humanitarian response only when embedded in inclusive systems and supported by long-term institutional investment.

Check the summit inauguration & stay posted for FAO's next event participation!