Lukashenko calls artificial intelligence a tool for Belarus

Artificial intelligence (AI) for Belarus is not a fashion statement, but an applied tool for the development of production and improving the quality of life of citizens. This was stated by President of the Republic Alexander Lukashenko at the Eurasian Economic Forum in Astana on May 28.

"For us, artificial intelligence is not an end in itself, not a fashion statement, and not a reason to abandon decades-old practices in pursuit of hype <...> First of all, it is an applied tool that should really work for the benefit of people and production, increasing the efficiency of the economy and the quality of people's lives," the Belarusian leader said.

Lukashenko noted that a global shift has taken place over the past three years: AI technologies have emerged from scientific laboratories and become part of everyday life, appearing in every smartphone. According to him, the concept has turned from a narrow professional term into a common expression. At the same time, attitudes towards neural networks vary in society.

"For some, primarily young people, artificial intelligence and neural networks have become a familiar virtual assistant. For others, it's a slogan and an icon. For others, it is almost the beginning of the apocalypse and the fear of the future," the President of Belarus emphasized.

He added that fears about new technologies are groundless, since AI was not created from scratch, but logically follows from existing practices. Lukashenko stressed that the republic adheres to its own path of digital development, which implies the rejection of copying foreign solutions.

The President also pointed out that the use of AI speeds up work with data and automates routine, helping to solve analytical tasks faster that a person could have completed on their own, but in a longer period of time. In Belarus, technologies are being introduced into the real sector of the economy where it is justified by industrial necessity.

Putin spoke at the EEF plenary session. The main thing

Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that high technologies — digitalization and AI - are currently in the focus of attention. In addition, the president added that AI is a new but "very promising area" of integration cooperation. So, we are talking about strategic technologies that are becoming a factor in ensuring global competitiveness, economic growth and progress.

In addition, the head of state noted that the replacement of low-skilled personnel with AI is irreversible and inevitable. According to him, some professions may disappear completely, giving way to computer intelligence. AI is already replacing junior staff in process automation, documentation processing, and software code development.