ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in cinema and the creative industries, while stressing the importance of responsible AI development and safety. He made the remarks at the opening of the first international Astana AI Film Festival on Oct.
2. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attends the opening ceremony of the Astana AI Film Festival in Astana. Photo credit: Akorda. Addressing the festival, Tokayev described it as a unique platform bringing together creative and innovative talents from around the world.
“Artificial intelligence is bringing fundamental changes to all areas of the global economy. In short, technological progress has acquired a truly global scale,” he said. Tokayev said the festival reflects the rapid development of Kazakhstan’s creative industries and noted that AI is lowering barriers to film production.
“Today, even small creative teams can compete successfully with major studios. Creative people and film crews no longer need to knock on the doors of production companies or look for sponsors to make films. Access to the market has become significantly easier,” he said.
He added that AI could become an important tool for creative professionals. “Of course, artificial intelligence will not replace the spark of the Creator, but it can become an indispensable tool for everyone who has chosen creativity as their path in life,” Tokayev said.
President Tokayev said that rapid technological development must be accompanied by common rules for safe and responsible AI use. “We must give the highest priority to safety and develop common rules of the game for the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence to ensure a safe future for the younger generation,” he said.
More than 8,000 applications from 125 countries were submitted for the festival, including entries from Brazil, China, France, India, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. Tokayev said the festival would create opportunities for international exchange and future joint projects in the creative industries.