BRICS Open-Source AI Community – Benefits & Challenges – Explained Pointwise

Recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed a BRICS open-source AI community to promote technological cooperation and wider access to artificial intelligence. While the initiative offers benefits such as shared innovation and reduced technological dependence, it also presents challenges for India, particularly concerning strategic autonomy, cybersecurity and technological dependence.

What is the proposed BRICS Open-Source AI Community?

• The BRICS Open-Source AI Community is a proposal put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping during the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
• It is a proposed framework for collaboration among BRICS countries in developing and sharing open-source Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.
• China envisions this initiative as an open, shared ecosystem for developing countries to collaborate on artificial intelligence without relying on proprietary, closed-source models controlled by Western tech companies (such as OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic).
• Although the New Delhi Declaration issued after the summit does not mention the proposed open-source AI community, China’s assumption of the BRICS chairship in 2027 could provide an opportunity to bring these proposals before the grouping again.

What are its major objectives?

1. Promote Open-Source AI: Encourage development and sharing of AI models, algorithms, tools and technologies among BRICS countries.
2. Technology sharing: Facilitate exchange of AI technologies, expertise and best practices among BRICS members.
3. Capacity building: Strengthen AI-related skills, research capabilities and technical talent in developing countries.
4. Affordable AI access: Reduce the cost and technological barriers to adopting advanced AI, particularly for developing economies.
5. AI infrastructure cooperation: Encourage collaboration in areas such as computing power, data infrastructure and AI training.
6. Inclusive AI ecosystem: Promote AI applications suited to the developmental needs of the Global South, including healthcare, agriculture, education and public services.
7. AI governance: Facilitate dialogue on responsible, safe and ethical development and use of AI.
8. Strengthen BRICS Technological Cooperation: Use AI cooperation to deepen digital and technological partnerships among BRICS members.

What are the potential benefits of the BRICS Open-Source AI initiative for developing countries?

1. Affordable Access to AI: Open-source AI models can reduce licensing fees, proprietary software costs and entry barriers, enabling developing countries, startups and public institutions with limited resources to access and customise advanced AI technologies for local needs.
2. Reduce Technological Dependence: Open-source AI can reduce developing countries’ reliance on a few advanced economies and global technology companies for access to AI models, algorithms and digital infrastructure. By sharing technologies, expertise and computing resources, BRICS countries can strengthen technological sovereignty, develop indigenous capabilities and reduce risks arising from external technological restrictions.
3. Bridge the Digital Divide: Open-source AI can make advanced AI tools more affordable and accessible to developing countries, reducing the technological gap with developed economies. Shared models, knowledge and infrastructure can enable countries to build locally relevant AI solutions in healthcare, education, agriculture and governance, thereby promoting inclusive digital development.
4. Boost Local Innovation: Open-source AI allows start-ups, researchers and developers to modify existing AI models according to local needs, languages and socio-economic conditions, reducing development costs and encouraging indigenous AI solutions.
5. Strengthen South-South Cooperation: The BRICS Open-Source AI initiative can deepen South-South technological cooperation by enabling developing countries to share AI models, expertise, computing infrastructure and best practices, reducing dependence on technology transfers from developed economies.
6. Promote Inclusive Development: Open-source AI can make advanced technologies affordable and accessible to developing countries, enabling their use in healthcare, education, agriculture, financial inclusion and public service delivery. For e.g. AI-powered tools can support early disease detection, personalised learning, crop advisory and multilingual government services, helping extend the benefits of technology to underserved and rural populations.

What are the major challenges in developing a common AI ecosystem among BRICS countries?

1. Divergent Technological Capabilities: BRICS countries have unequal AI capabilities, digital infrastructure, computing power and research ecosystems. Countries such as China and India have relatively advanced AI sectors, while several newer BRICS members face shortages of skilled professionals, advanced semiconductors and AI research infrastructure. This technological gap can make it difficult to establish common standards and ensure meaningful participation by all members.
2. Geopolitical Differences: BRICS countries have diverging strategic interests, foreign-policy priorities and security concerns, which can hinder deep technological cooperation. For instance, India-China strategic tensions may limit the sharing of sensitive AI technologies, data and infrastructure..
3. Data Privacy & Sovereignty: BRICS countries have different data-protection laws, data-localisation requirements and approaches to crossborder data sharing. This can make it difficult to create common datasets and train AI models collaboratively. Countries may also be reluctant to share sensitive personal, financial, health or strategic data due to privacy and national-security concerns.
4. Cybersecurity Risks: Open sharing of AI models, datasets and algorithms can create cybersecurity vulnerabilities, as malicious actors may exploit them for cyberattacks, deepfakes, misinformation, automated hacking and fraud.
5. Strategic Autonomy vs. Hegemony: BRICS members may be concerned that reducing dependence on Western technology could inadvertently create new technological dependence on a dominant member, particularly China, undermining their strategic autonomy.
6. Compute & Semiconductor Dependency: Advanced AI development requires high-end chips (GPUs) and substantial computing infrastructure, much of which remains concentrated in a few countries. US export controls and limited access to cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing, including for Chinese firms, may constrain BRICS’ ability to build a fully self-reliant AI ecosystem.

What should be the way forward?

1. Build an Inclusive & Decentralised Ecosystem: BRICS should ensure that the AI ecosystem is not dominated by any single country or technology provider. This can be achieved through shared governance, distributed computing infrastructure, and equitable access to AI models and datasets, allowing all members to contribute according to their capabilities while preserving strategic autonomy.
2. Develop Common AI Standards: BRICS countries should establish common standards for AI safety, transparency, data protection, interoperability and accountability. Harmonised standards can facilitate cross-border AI cooperation while preventing regulatory fragmentation.
3. Ensure Data Sovereignty with Responsible Data Sharing: BRICS countries should establish common protocols for secure and responsible data sharing, while respecting national data-protection and localisation laws.
4. Establish Strong Cybersecurity Safeguards: BRICS should establish common cybersecurity protocols for AI models, datasets and computing infrastructure, including vulnerability assessments, secure data-sharing mechanisms, model testing and incident-response systems.
5. Maintain Strategic Autonomy through Diversification: To avoid dependence on any single member country, particularly in AI models, semiconductors, cloud infrastructure and critical technologies – BRICS member countries should focus on diversifying technology partnerships, supply chains and sources of computing capacity. This can help in strengtheing the strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty while ensuring that BRICS AI cooperation remains genuinely collaborative.

Conclusion: BRICS should pursue building a secure, interoperable and decentralised AI ecosystem that promotes innovation while safeguarding the strategic autonomy of individual members.