India is exceptionally well positioned to "lead by example, rather than play catch-up" in artificial intelligence adoption, according to George Osborne, who heads OpenAI's 'OpenAI for Countries' initiative. He spoke to NDTV at the outskirts of the World Economic Forum's 2026 Annual Meeting at Davos, Switzerland.
"The capability overhead we've been talking about is trying to get other countries to look at India and follow the lead there," Osborne said.
He noted that India is ideally placed to harness the advantages of the "AI revolution," adding that it features in the firm's top five list of countries with the highest levels of AI adoption.
"India is really well placed, not just because of the changes made to technology over the last 20-30 years, but if you look today, it's the second-largest market in terms of users - as well as the intensity of those users," he added.
India ranks in the top five alongside countries such as Morocco and Vietnam, demonstrating that leading AI adoption is not limited to Western European or North American nations. This, Osborne noted, puts India in a strong position to seize the opportunities of the AI era.
Osborne, who joined OpenAI a month ago, said the experience "already feels like three months or three years," before explaining the purpose of the 'OpenAI for Countries' initiative.
"OpenAI for Countries is how this firm will help nations speed up the adoption of AI - for their citizens, enterprises and government services - and ensure this technology is not underused," he said.
He added that AI adoption varies widely across the world. "In some countries, including India, there is a lot of adoption, with people using it intensely, but in other places, not so much."
"We've had conversations with around 50 countries, and we're talking to them about how AI can improve education systems, prepare citizens for an AI-driven future, enhance healthcare, and reach regions where medical access is limited," Osborne said.
The initiative also aims to foster startup ecosystems, helping countries derive economic benefits from innovation while also addressing challenges such as cybersecurity and natural disasters.
"Part of the initiative is anticipating the questions that countries will ask - and answering them," he added.
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