Putin sees AI as key battleground for global economic leadership
Tos:
Islamabad: Russian President Vladimir Putin has described artificial intelligence as the key driver of future global economic growth, technological progress and development, saying countries and major corporations are locked in fierce competition to dominate the rapidly advancing sector.
According to details, he made the remarks while addressing the plenary session of the Fifth Eurasian Economic Forum held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The forum was held under the theme: “The Eurasian Economic Union in the Global Digital Race: Betting on Artificial Intelligence.”
Leaders of member states, representatives of international organisations, business figures, experts and heads of financial institutions attended the Eurasian Economic Forum. Around 30 specialised sessions were held during the event on economic cooperation, digitalisation, modern technology and various aspects of artificial intelligence.
In his address, President Putin thanked Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and termed the forum as important and effective. He said the Eurasian Economic Forum was creating new opportunities for shared development by bringing together governments, businesses and experts on a single platform.
President Putin said joint digital systems had already been introduced within the Eurasian Economic Union in the fields of trade, digital commerce, labour markets and data exchange, while artificial intelligence had now emerged as a new yet highly significant area of mutual cooperation.
He said artificial intelligence was a strategic technology that was becoming a fundamental factor in global competition, economic growth and modern advancement.
The Russian president said Russia possessed several important advantages in the field, including a strong education system, scientific capability, a skilled workforce, extensive energy resources and the financial means required for the development of artificial intelligence.
He said the development of artificial intelligence required enormous amounts of energy and noted that Russia had a strong foundation in nuclear energy, hydropower and conventional energy sectors, placing the country in a prominent position in the field.
President Putin warned that artificial intelligence could completely transform the global labour market in future, with millions of people potentially required to change professions while many traditional jobs could disappear.
He said computerised intelligence could replace humans in several sectors in the coming years and termed the process as unavoidable, adding that countries must prepare for these changes and turn them into new opportunities for economic growth.
Referring to the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare, education and other sectors in Russia, President Putin said advanced AI systems in Moscow’s ambulance services and hospitals were improving treatment and accelerating decision-making processes.
He also announced that Russia had established a global alliance to promote international cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and proposed holding a high-level international summit on AI in Russia next year.
Following the plenary session, President Vladimir Putin and other delegations visited a special exhibition titled “Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Eurasian Economic Union”, where participating countries presented successful projects in digital technology and artificial intelligence.
Political and economic experts described the Astana forum as an important development for the promotion of artificial intelligence, the digital economy and modern technology across the Eurasian region.
