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Kassym-Jomart Tokayev opened the Aqaba Process summit on artificial intelligence security in Astana (inbusiness.kz). Leaders of five countries gathered to discuss AI threats and efforts to counter terrorism amid digital change.
What happened
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein are taking part in the summit. They are joined by the presidents of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon; Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov; and Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Participants also include Sahiba Gafarova, speaker of Azerbaijan’s National Assembly, and Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev. Representatives of parliaments, foreign ministries and other government bodies have travelled to Astana.
What it means
The meeting’s theme is “Security in Artificial Intelligence”. Participants are discussing how to combat terrorism and violent extremism as digital technologies develop rapidly.
One distinctive feature of the Aqaba Process is that it brings heads of state and intelligence chiefs to the same table. The broader format also includes representatives of defence ministries and international organisations. Astana is hosting this international discussion.
How the Aqaba Process began
Jordan’s King Abdullah II launched the initiative in 2015. From the outset, the Aqaba Process has focused on countering terrorism and violent extremism. At the Astana meeting, that agenda was linked to the threats accompanying the development of artificial intelligence.
