AI can fix many things but not…: Rishi Sunak cracks light joke over Delhi traffic

February 20, 2026

Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy shared the stage at the British High Commission in New Delhi on Thursday. They discussed shared heritage and artificial intelligence (AI). Sunak jokingly remarked, “As we heard this week, AI can do a lot, but it can’t fix Delhi’s traffic yet.”

Sunak reached late 

Sunak arrived a little late to his session. He apologized immediately and quipped, “AI can do a lot, as we saw this week, but it can’t fix Delhi’s traffic yet. But what we saw this week was truly extraordinary. This is the result not only of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, but also of the energy of everyone here who is putting into developing and using this technology. This energy is unmatched anywhere else in the world. This is why India now holds a prominent position as an AI superpower, according to Stanford’s global rankings. This is a matter of pride for all of you.”

Son-in-law not son 

When Lammy introduced Sunak, he said that former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is a great son not only of Britain but also of India. Sunak interrupted Lammy and immediately said jokingly, “Son-in-law.” This drew laughter from the audience. Lammy then jokingly replied, “Son-in-law.”

During the discussion, David Lammy also highlighted his Indian roots. He revealed that his great-grandmother was from Kolkata. He also praised his friendship with former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Lammy further clarified his connection to India. He said, “I also want to establish my heritage because my great-grandmother on my mother’s side was from Kolkata.”

Lammy emphasized that despite their differing political perspectives, they can still work together. He specifically spoke about focusing on shared goals for Britain and the world. He said that even though he and Sunak belong to different political parties, they can still work together. He said, “We come from different political parties. But we can work together and have been friends for many years.”

He further stated that in recent years, it has been a great pleasure to work with former Prime Minister Sunak on their shared goal of improving prostate cancer rates in Britain and globally. He also stated that it has been a pleasure to work with him on an issue with such political differences.

As the keynote speaker at the AI ​​Impact Summit, Sunak said that India is uniquely positioned to drive the next global phase of AI. This is important not only for developed countries but also for developing countries. Sunak said, “We need a regular platform where everyone can come together to discuss AI and related technologies.” He said that this summit provides this platform and that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this summit will have an impact. He said the summit aims to demonstrate that AI can be used not only for developed countries but also for developing countries.

No better place than India for AI Discussion 

Sunak said there could be no better place than India to discuss the transformation of AI. He also said that this summit will demonstrate how AI can improve health and education in every corner of the world and enhance human dignity.

Sunak said he pledged to develop the future of AI in a way that benefits humanity. He explained that safety has been a top priority from the very beginning. He also said that leading laboratories are now testing AI models in collaboration with the UK AI Security Institute to ensure safety standards before implementation.