India, Feb. 22 -- For much of the world, the barriers to artificial intelligence are not philosophical but practical: the cost of computing power, the absence of reliable internet, the lack of trained workers. The New Delhi Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, adopted on Saturday by 88 countries and international organisations, puts those concerns at the centre of global AI governance for the first time.

The declaration argues that "robust digital infrastructure and meaningful and affordable connectivity are prerequisites for deploying AI and unlocking its full potential," calls for "upgrading vocational and training ecosystems" and the "training of public officials" in AI, and frames affordable AI systems as a means to "accelerate lo...