MINSK, 26 June (BelTA) - Digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) should become an absolute priority of the EAEU, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the plenary session of the 4th Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk on 26 June, BelTA has learned.
The head of state drew attention to the fact that the EAEU rightfully occupies the position of one of the largest associations of Eurasia with a total economic potential of $2.6 trillion. Last year, mutual trade reached another record high of $98 billion, almost doubling the figures of 2015. The GDP growth has been ahead of the world average for the second year in a row. The association continues to strengthen its international authority. The EAEU is becoming an increasingly important entity of the global economic system, the president of Kazakhstan emphasized.
“Further development of the EAEU should be based on the principles of equality, mutual benefit, pragmatism and serve the interests of the economies of our states,” he added.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed that modern challenges require new approaches to economic development from the EAEU countries and its leaders. Digital technologies play a key role here. E-commerce, digital document management, automated systems have already become integral elements of the economies of the EAEU countries. They made it possible to significantly reduce costs, speed up the movement of goods, and simplify business access to the common market.
“We are all witnessing rapid changes in the world as a result of total digitalization. In fact, we are already living in the era of AI,” the president stated. According to him, AI is a technology that not only increases productivity, but transforms the very principle of the economy, state and society. Digitalization and AI are projected to contribute more than $15 trillion to global GDP and replace up to 300 million jobs by 2030, while creating entirely new jobs.
At the same time, global competition in AI is intensifying. “The EAEU has a historic opportunity to join this global process. It is important to use the window of opportunities in a timely manner to strengthen our role in the emerging digital world order,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
According to him, there is also a danger that a small group of countries will become leaders in AI development, while others will be on the sidelines. “The EAEU should take the lead in this process and prevent the backlog, as the president of Belarus said today. That is, digitalization and AI should become the unconditional priority of the EAEU,” he stressed. According to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, one of the meetings at the level of heads of state should be devoted to the matter.
Kazakhstan is consistently developing its national digital infrastructure and will soon launch a supercomputer with the highest computing power, the president said. According to him, it is the first in this part of the world and in the EAEU.
“Advanced digital technologies can give a powerful impetus to trade and economic cooperation between our countries. For this we have everything we need – strategic documents, accumulated experience, understanding of common needs. The main thing, I think, is that we need to act in a coordinated, pragmatic and proactive manner,” the president of Kazakhstan said. “I am sure that the systemic and decisive policy of the states, the combination of their efforts in the Eurasian space will make artificial intelligence a source of sustainable growth and global competitiveness of our economies.”
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