Emmanuel Macron Calls for Control Over Artificial Intelligence at the Lumiere Summit, Where the Film Industry Is Seeking Its Future

French President Emmanuel Macron opened the Lumiere Summit on Monday in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, in southern France, an international event dedicated to the future of cinema and the challenges affecting the industry. The French leader called for “reclaiming control” over artificial intelligence, warning that it must not replace creators.

Approximately 220 representatives from 65 countries are attending the gathering, including Hollywood studios, television networks, streaming platforms, and video game producers and publishers. The event is taking place amid declining cinema attendance, competition from digital platforms, and Hollywood’s prolonged crisis.

France and South Korea, the co-hosting country, announced the creation of a €1 billion fund, financed equally, to support the image sector and animation companies over the next five years. Macron also announced the Iris organization, which will bring together independent cinemas to protect the diversity of this model.

Netflix and TikTok are participating in the summit, while YouTube and Meta declined the invitation. Major generative artificial intelligence companies are absent amid accusations that audiovisual creations are being used without permission to train models. The gathering, also supported by Martin Scorsese and Isabelle Huppert, will conclude with a declaration on protecting intellectual property.. Qס