French President Emmanuel Macron stated, "The way video content is created and consumed is changing at an unprecedented scale and speed," adding, "We must neither fear this change nor be swept along by it."

In his opening speech at the Lumière Summit held in Saint-Paul-de-Vence on the 7th local time, President Macron explained, "That is precisely why France and Korea sought to host the first international summit on film and video."

The Lumière Summit is an event discussing the future of film and video, with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and President Macron serving as co-chairs.

Diagnosing the changes surrounding film, President Macron noted, "Algorithms are increasingly determining what is consumed, and the economic models that have funded creative works are undergoing a complete overhaul," while adding, "Generative artificial intelligence is opening up remarkable possibilities, but at the same time raising questions about copyright and the credibility of images."

He continued, "We must set the direction of that change," forecasting that "depending on the choices we make today, we will determine whether creative works become more open or closed, whether technology expands possibilities or causes homogenization, and whether a wealth of images leads to diversity or endless repetition."

He stated, "No single country can pioneer this future alone," adding, "As technology, capital, images, and audiences naturally cross borders and we face global challenges, our response must also be global."

Furthermore, he said, "France and Korea hope that this summit will serve as a milestone for a new form of cooperation called 'action-oriented multilateralism,' bringing together nations, creators, producers, broadcasters, platforms, cinemas, the video game and tech industries, and international organizations."

More specifically, he stated, "We will protect the world's audiovisual heritage where it is at risk, make education on images a universal goal, support independent cinemas in vulnerable regions, and provide an international forum matching the cultural and economic importance of video games, which are a major creative form of our era."

(Photo: Yonhap News)