UPSC Prelims 2025 Q95: Current Affairs – International Relations & Treaties
Consider the following statements regarding AI Action Summit held in Grand Palais, Paris in
February 2025 :
I. Co - chaired with India, the event builds on the advances made at the Bletchley Park Summit
held in 2023 and the Seoul Summit held in 2024.
II. Along with other countries, US and UK also signed the declaration on inclusive and sustainable
AI.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) I only
- (b) II only
- (c) Both I and II
- (d) Neither I nor II
Answer: (a) I only
Explanation
AI Action Summit — Paris, February 2025
| Statement | Claim | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Co-chaired with India; builds on Bletchley Park (2023) and Seoul (2024) summits | TRUE | The Paris AI Action Summit (February 10-11, 2025) was co-chaired by France and India. It was the third in the series: Bletchley Park (UK, Nov 2023) → Seoul (South Korea, May 2024) → Paris (France, Feb 2025) ✓ |
| II | US and UK also signed the declaration on inclusive and sustainable AI | FALSE | The US and UK notably did NOT sign the Paris AI declaration. This was a major diplomatic controversy - both countries abstained from signing the final declaration on AI governance, citing concerns about the text's language. |
Only Statement I correct → Answer: I only
AI Summit Series Timeline:
| Summit | Host | Year | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Safety Summit | UK (Bletchley Park) | Nov 2023 | Bletchley Declaration; 28 countries signed |
| AI Seoul Summit | South Korea | May 2024 | Seoul Ministerial Statement + Seoul Statement |
| AI Action Summit | France (Paris) | Feb 2025 | Co-chaired by France + India; US and UK did NOT sign final declaration |
Answer: (a) I only.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Statement I is accurate: France-India co-chaired, and this was the third summit following Bletchley (2023) and Seoul (2024). Statement II is false — US and UK declined to sign the Paris declaration.
- (b) Incorrect. Statement II alone would mean the co-chairship with India and Bletchley-Seoul lineage is wrong — both are well-established facts about the Paris 2025 summit.
- (c) Incorrect. 'Both I and II' would require the US and UK to have signed the Paris declaration — they explicitly did NOT sign it, making Statement II false.
- (d) Incorrect. 'Neither I nor II' would mean France-India didn't co-chair and the three-summit series is fiction — both are clearly documented facts.
Key point
Paris AI Summit (Feb 2025) = France + India co-chairs. Third summit (Bletchley 2023 → Seoul 2024 → Paris 2025). US and UK did NOT sign the Paris AI declaration.
Remember
Paris AI Action Summit (Feb 2025): co-chaired by France and India, third summit after Bletchley (2023) and Seoul (2024). US and UK did NOT sign the final declaration.
Common mistakes
- Assuming all major democracies signed the Paris AI declaration — US and UK abstained, which was a notable split among Western nations on AI governance.
- Thinking UK co-chaired the Paris summit — UK hosted the FIRST summit (Bletchley, 2023) but France + India co-chaired the third (Paris, 2025).
- Not knowing the summit series — UPSC 2025 tests current affairs; the three-summit progression (UK → Korea → France/India) is key.
Exam tip
AI Summits: Bletchley (UK, 2023) → Seoul (Korea, 2024) → Paris (France+India, 2025). US and UK did NOT sign Paris declaration. India as co-chair = India's growing role in global AI governance.
Sources
- Ministry of External Affairs, India — AI Action Summit Paris 2025
- Elysée Palace — AI Action Summit Outcomes, February 2025