SPIEF 2025 Agenda to Feature AI in Media for the First Time
11:29 18.06.2025 (Updated: 20:39 18.06.2025)
© Sputnik / Alexei Danichev
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The 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is expected to include discussions on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the modern media landscape for the first time, said Alexander Yakovenko, Deputy Director-General of the international media group Rossiya Segodnya.
"While the economic agenda remains crucial, this year’s SPIEF will likely be remembered for its international focus and the calibre of participants from 140 countries. Since the last forum, we’ve witnessed rapid shifts—political upheaval in the US, the tragedy in Gaza, and now Israel’s aggression towards Iran, which threatens to reshape the future of the Middle East. As forum organising committee head Maxim Oreshkin rightly noted, we face both immediate challenges—armed conflicts, trade wars, technological disruption—and deeper structural forces redefining the global order. Ahead of the forum, Rossiya Segodnya has released a report, 2025: World in Transformation, analysing the key trends shaping this evolution," Yakovenko told Sputnik.
He added that while the agenda may appear conventional at first glance, technological themes —particularly AI — are gaining prominence across discussions.
"A new addition this year will be a session organised by Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group, on AI’s influence on media. Estimates suggest AI already generates around 10% of global news content," Yakovenko noted.
He warned this trend would accelerate, presenting both opportunities and risks: "It enables real-time, high-tech disinformation, posing a direct threat to international security. This will be a core focus of our debate."
SPIEF 2025 runs from 18–21 June in St. Petersburg.
