South Korean President Advocates Human-Centric AI and Supports Independent Cinema at Lumière Summit

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung recently addressed the prestigious Lumière Summit, outlining a robust vision for the future of film and artificial intelligence. His speech highlighted a substantial financial commitment of €500 million towards the Korean film sector, matching a similar pledge from France, aimed at fostering global content collaboration. A central theme was the imperative to develop AI technologies that complement human creativity rather than supersede it, advocating for a human-centric approach across all technological advancements. Furthermore, President Lee underscored the critical role of independent cinema in driving innovation and sustainable growth within the industry, calling for concerted efforts to safeguard and promote the theatrical viewing experience for upcoming generations. The summit also served as a moment to honor pivotal milestones in cinematic history, reflecting on the profound impact of film.

During his address at the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, President Lee introduced the “Lumière Partnership,” an initiative enthusiastically embraced by France. This collaboration seeks to integrate domestic investments with bilateral co-productions, creating a springboard for local cinematic works to gain international recognition. He articulated that the partnership's ambition extends beyond mere bilateral cooperation, aspiring to illuminate a new era for the global film and visual media landscape. Drawing inspiration from Martin Scorsese's adage, “The most personal is the most creative,” Lee cited the global successes of Korean productions like “Parasite,” Lee Chang-dong’s “Burning,” and series such as “Kingdom” and “Kpop Demon Hunters” as prime examples of Korean storytelling's international appeal, reinforcing his belief in the power of unique cultural narratives.

President Lee elaborated on his July San Francisco AI Declaration, stressing the need for AI to evolve responsibly and with a human-centric focus, ensuring its benefits are universally accessible. He acknowledged the considerable challenges confronting AI integration, including potential job displacement, ethical concerns surrounding actor likeness and voice cloning, unresolved copyright issues, and disputes over training data. Lee emphasized that the film and visual industry, fundamentally rooted in human creativity and emotion, is uniquely positioned to guide AI development towards values that support human flourishing. He urged industry leaders to ensure AI technology serves human growth and upholds the industry's human-centric essence.

Reflecting on the state of theatrical exhibition, President Lee presented compelling data from South Korea, which boasted the highest per-capita cinema attendance globally in 2019. Despite a significant decline in admissions post-COVID-19, he asserted the vital importance of preserving the cinematic experience for future generations. This, he argued, necessitates producing more compelling films for theatrical release and actively engaging younger audiences. Lee passionately advocated for independent cinema, identifying it as the undisputed future and engine of sustainable industry growth. He pledged Korea’s unwavering support as a partner to independent filmmakers, recognizing their diverse experiments as catalysts for evolving cinematic language. The summit's timing was also significant, marking the centennial of groundbreaking films like “Don Juan,” “The Adventures of Prince Achmed,” and Na Woon-gyu’s “Arirang,” which laid the foundation for Korean national cinema and symbolized the Korean spirit.

In his concluding remarks, President Lee echoed the Lumière brothers' sentiment on the unifying power of shared cinematic experiences, where collective emotion emerges from an audience merged as one. He expressed his profound hope that the summit would brightly illuminate the path forward for the dynamic film and visual media industry, fostering a future where creativity, technology, and human values converge harmoniously.