As global leaders, including UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, gathered in New Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit, King's College London showcased its expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) education and research.
Held from 16 to 20 February 2026, the summit brought together policymakers, businesses, and civil society organisations to advance global dialogue on AI's societal impact.
Representing King's at the UK Pavillion - a showcase of British academic and business innovation - Dr Caitlin Bentley, Senior Lecturer in AI Education, presented cutting-edge research and educational resources to industry leaders and academics throughout the week.
Dr Bentley was also selected as one of only three representatives from higher education institutions to present at the British High Commissioner's residence, attended by UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. She explained the risks of deskilling in human-AI collaboration and the case for simulation-based, equity-first approaches to workforce development - a theme that ran throughout the week's engagements.
While we are all excited by the potential for AI, conversations have consistently rested on the impact that AI will have, and whether or not it will contribute to making the world a better place to live in for all across the globe. It has been great to see many more perspectives from the majority world on the global stage at the India AI Impact Summit, but it is clear that we have a long way to go towards ensuring that AI truly makes a positive difference in the lives of the world's poorest and most marginalised.
Dr Caitlin Bentley, Senior Lecturer in AI Education
Training the next generation of maritime professionals
One of the highlights of King's presence at the summit was the showcase of an innovative training simulator developed through a collaboration between King's, Seabot Maritime, and Frontier Robotics.
The project addresses one of the emerging challenges of AI-enabled industries: how to ensure that human operators remain skilled and capable of critical intervention as autonomous systems take on more routine tasks.
The simulator enables operators to practice emergency response scenarios using Frontier Robotics' autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) control system, which is used for inspecting critical infrastructure such as offshore wind farms, oil and gas installations, and underwater cables. Realistic failure states - including camera malfunctions, autopilot failures, and current disruptions - can be recreated without the £100,000+ costs of repeated real-world missions.
As autonomous underwater vehicles become more sophisticated, traditional training pathways of up to ten years are being disrupted, yet no formal qualifications exist for the new roles emerging in maritime autonomy. Dr Bentley's research aims to address this gap, developing simulation-based training as an equitable pathway into the sector for both experienced professionals and new entrants.
Open-access AI education for children and young people
Dr Bentley also contributed to a workshop exploring how young learners can be better equipped to navigate an AI-mediated world with critical awareness and ethical judgment. The session showcased resources developed through Responsible AI UK's Skills Pillar that were all freely available for adaptation to diverse national curricula and educational contexts. The resources are suitable for a range of age groups from primary school through to secondary and beyond.
Materials on display included storytelling toolkits exploring generative AI, unplugged activities on misinformation and data privacy, and 'Show Runner', an immersive team-based game in which players navigate AI-driven media production. All resources are curriculum-ready and adaptable to diverse national contexts, supporting teachers with and without access to digital infrastructure.
In conversation with global AI leaders
Beyond the UK Pavilion, Dr Bentley attended a number of high-level discussions on the future of AI - including a panel session on 'The Global Mindset: Shaping Visionary Leaders Across Every Discipline for an AI-Powered World' brought together voices from across the international research community.
There was also an evening reception on 'AI for Social Good' hosted by the UK Government, Community Jameel, and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), which featured remarks from senior figures including Shri Krishnan, Secretary of India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and Kanishka Narayan MP, the UK Minister for AI and Online Safety.
The summit underscored the growing international appetite for evidence-based approaches to AI governance, education, and workforce development, all areas in which King's is playing an active and increasingly visible role on the world stage.
