Hindustan Times Switzerland 2027: The Push for a Global AI Treaty Explained by Amb Thomas Schneider

In this episode of the *AI Futures* podcast, host Anirudh Suri sits down with *Ambassador Thomas Schneider* who led the negotiations for the *world’s first binding international treaty on Artificial Intelligence.* As the person who will also be helping put together the 2027 Switzerland AI Summit, Ambassador Schneider shares his views on how Switzerland is adopting a decentralised, bottoms up approach to devising its AI strategy, unlike other countries that have a top-down, centralised approach. He also shares how Switzerland is planning to leverage its “trusted hub” reputation in the world of AI as well.

We explore:

– How can a small country compete with AI giants like the US and China? Discover why Switzerland doesn’t have one single “AI strategy” and how they use an “agile ecosystem” to stay ahead.
– Is a global treaty on AI actually possible? Hear from the person who negotiated with 55 countries to create shared AI rules for a fragmented world.
– Will AI take our jobs in the next five years? We discuss the risk of 10% to 20% of office jobs being displaced and which skills humans must keep for themselves.
– Can AI help save ‘dying’ languages? Learn about the **Apertus** project, an open-source tool designed to help small communities preserve their culture through technology.
– Who is responsible when AI goes wrong? We explore the idea of “liability” and why companies should pay for the risks they create.
– In a world optimized for efficiency, how do we ensure ecologically responsible energy choices are made in the development of AI infrastructure, models and applications?
– How can we avoid some of the same mistakes made during the Industrial Revolution that are causing an ecological crisis now?

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The AI Futures Podcast series, hosted by Anirudh Suri, is organized in collaboration with the *Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India* as the intellectual prelude to the India AI Impact Summit 2026 being held from Feb 16 – 20, 2026 in New Delhi, India.

Whether you are a student, a policymaker, or just curious about the future of AI, this conversation breaks down the complex world of AI into lessons we can all understand.

🎧 Watch soon to understand what’s at stake as the world’s AI conversation moves to India.

This series is a collaboration between AI Futures Podcast & Hindustan Times.

About the guest: Ambassador Thomas Schneider is the Co-Director of International Affairs at the Swiss Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM). He chaired the Council of Europe’s Committee on AI and is a world-renowned expert in digital governance.

#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #AI #globaltreaty #aitreaty #AnirudhSuri #ThomasSchneider #globalai #SustainableAI

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