EXCLUSIVE: "Modi & I Will Change History" Brazil's Lula da Silva on India Partnership & Trump Showdown

"BRICS is representing the global South—half of humanity." Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reveals why this alliance terrifies the West and how it will reshape the 21st century world order.

In an exclusive interview with India Today Global, Brazil's President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva holds absolutely nothing back. This explosive conversation goes far beyond Trump. Lula exposes Bolsonaro's 27-year conviction for plotting to murder him, celebrates his "extraordinary relationship" with PM Modi, condemns the US invasion of Venezuela as "unacceptable," and unveils why BRICS—representing half of humanity—will reshape the 21st century. From de-dollarization strategies to Amazon preservation, critical minerals negotiations to UN reform demands, nothing is off limits in this candid sit-down.

Question:You're here for the India AI Impact Summit, and you have warned the world that AI should not become a privilege for a few, nor a tool of manipulation. What do you think this summit has achieved for the Global South?

Answer:The very fact that Prime Minister Modi has called for this summit to discuss artificial intelligence is already something very positive and very important, because in politics, if you don't create debates and discussions, if you don't have meetings, if you don't have a mix of people in these debates, you cannot manage to build a policy that will reach consensus to benefit the majority of the people. It is very important to recognise that artificial intelligence is something very significant for humanity, but it should be at the service of civil society. It could enable people to improve their living standards in healthcare. Artificial intelligence will play a very important role, and education can also benefit greatly, but we have to be very careful that artificial intelligence does not replace human work, because the bottom line is that Prime Minister Modi governs a country of 1.4 billion inhabitants that has to create jobs, generate income, and provide a better quality of life for the people. Artificial intelligence has to be at the service of this — at the service of the growth of the country, the improvement of public and private services, and above all with the perspective of improving the working conditions of all humanity. We cannot allow artificial intelligence to have one or two owners. Civil society is who must take ownership of artificial intelligence, and that is why this debate here in India was extremely important.

Question:Would you then say that AI is more of an enabler rather than a disruptor? And what are your views on what Prime Minister Modi says regarding artificial intelligence — that it must have some kind of safety, particularly for children, and that artificial intelligence has to be guided by families?

Answer:Yes, we need very rigid regulation, and we believe this regulation has to be done through a multilateral institution of the size of the United Nations. It has to be regulated to protect, above all, children, adolescents, and women, because we cannot allow artificial intelligence to be used for things that are negative — that cause harm and damage to the intimate lives of people or provoke violence against people. So we must have regulation. Obviously, two or three platform owners do not wish for regulation, but if we don't regulate and we lose control, I believe that would not be good for humanity. It could be profitable for one or two people, but for humanity, it will not be good. That is why we, as rulers, must have a clear idea of how to protect society against this extraordinary thing that is artificial intelligence.