Sunil Mittal calls for urgent global AI rules to stop accidents before rogue systems hit

Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has warned that governments cannot wait for a catastrophic accident before setting up global guardrails for artificial intelligence, describing any delay in establishing oversight as foolish.

Addressing the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026, Mittal said autonomous AI agents are advancing far faster than existing legislative frameworks can manage. While innovation should not be strangled, he argued, leaving high-speed automated systems to run without coordinated supervision invites severe cross-border risks.

"We need to think about the regulation," Mittal said. "I don't think we need to stifle it or stop the growth of it, but equally, it will be foolish for anybody to think that we can let it flow to a level, and then if an accident happens, then we'll think about it."

India leads proactive push on AI governance

Mittal noted that India is already taking decisive regulatory steps by preparing a consultation paper to build enforceable safeguards around artificial intelligence. The move forms part of a wider effort by Indian policymakers to protect national digital infrastructure while supporting technological progress across public and private sectors.

Governments worldwide are scrambling to adapt as artificial intelligence penetrates critical everyday systems, Mittal said. He pointed out that erratic behaviour and unpredictable actions by emerging autonomous agents are causing genuine alarm among international technology founders.

"Are we going to wake up only when an accident happens or we do it before?" Mittal asked, adding that the rapid embedding of AI across vital services leaves no room for administrative hesitation.

Global aviation model for international tech

Artificial intelligence cannot function safely inside fragmented national silos, Mittal argued. To handle tools originating across different borders—whether in the United States, China, or elsewhere—he called for an overarching international governance mechanism similar to global civil aviation rules.

Citing remarks made a day earlier by Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the worldwide aviation network, Mittal noted that international air transport relies on strict, universally accepted treaties that govern flight operations, safety standards, and airport landing slots regardless of an aircraft's national flag.

"Unfortunately, that conversation is not happening at the pace it should," Mittal said, urging world leaders to close the governance gap before untamed automation triggers widespread disruptions.