International AI accountability forum changes AI governance debate
The launch of the International AI Accountability Forum in New Delhi marks a major shift in how the global technology community may approach artificial intelligence governance in the years ahead. Unlike previous AI discussions focused mainly on ethics and voluntary principles, this new institution is positioning accountability, liability, and enforceable legal frameworks at the core of the AI debate.
Founded at the India International Centre, the Forum introduced three foundational instruments together: the IAAF Charter, the New Delhi Compact on AI Accountability, and the Universal Declaration of AI Accountability Rights. The initiative establishes a permanent multilateral institution dedicated exclusively to AI jurisprudence, regulation, and liability architecture.
At the center of the effort is Dr. Pavan Duggal, named Founder, Founding Chairman, and Chief Architect of the institution. His keynote framed the AI debate not as a technology race, but as a “civilizational choice” around responsibility and legal control.
Moving beyond AI ethics statements
One of the strongest themes emerging from the Forum was frustration with what speakers described as “principle fatigue.” According to the discussions, governments and technology groups have produced countless AI ethics declarations, but few have translated into enforceable legal accountability when AI systems cause harm.
The Forum argued that the rise of agentic AI has exposed a major legal gap. Existing doctrines around contracts, product liability, tort law, and criminal responsibility were largely designed for human-controlled systems, not autonomous decision-making software.
This concern drove the release of the Duggal Global Agentic AI Liability Framework, which attempts to answer a growing question facing enterprises and regulators alike: Who is liable for AI agent mistakes?
The New Delhi compact signals the Global South push
A notable aspect of the International AI Accountability Forum is its emphasis on Global South leadership in AI governance. The New Delhi Compact on AI Accountability reserves most Governing Council seats for Global South nations and argues that developing countries should help shape AI rules rather than simply adopt Western frameworks.
Forum speakers repeatedly warned against “algorithmic colonialism,” where AI systems developed in a few countries impose external values and governance models globally. The proposed framework instead pushes for co-design, consensus, and flexible implementation timelines that reflect varying institutional capacities.
That positioning may resonate strongly with emerging economies trying to balance AI innovation with regulatory sovereignty.
AI liability becomes the real policy battleground
The Forum’s discussions suggest that the next stage of AI governance may revolve less around ethics and more around operational accountability. Proposed ideas such as mandatory AI impact assessments, National AI Accountability Authorities, immutable AI decision logging systems, and reverse burden-of-proof rules indicate a future where enterprises may face stricter scrutiny over autonomous AI deployments.
One of the strongest legal positions presented was the rejection of the “algorithm did it” defence. Under the Duggal Doctrine, higher AI autonomy would actually increase human accountability rather than reduce it.
For enterprises deploying agentic AI systems, this could have long-term implications for compliance, governance, insurance, and litigation risk.
Conclusion
The International AI Accountability Forum is attempting something larger than another AI policy gathering. It is trying to establish a permanent legal and institutional structure for AI accountability before autonomous systems become deeply embedded into governments, businesses, and society.
Whether the framework gains broad global adoption remains uncertain. But the New Delhi launch signals that AI governance is moving into a more serious phase, where liability, evidence, enforcement, and jurisdiction may soon matter as much as innovation itself.
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