Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword echoing through tech conferences—it’s fundamentally reshaping politics, business, culture, and diplomacy across the globe. Over the past week, a cascade of major developments has highlighted both the promise and the peril of AI, as world leaders, international organizations, and even pop culture icons grapple with its rapid ascent.
On September 17, 2025, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stood before the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana with a message that cut through the usual diplomatic platitudes. Tokayev called for the establishment of an international body to address the ethical dimensions of AI and to draft universal legislation regulating its development and use. “New challenges arise, freedom of choice and privacy, digital equality and security, the use of artificial intelligence and many other technologies. Universal moral values and ideals must be included in the discussion of humanity’s digital future. Any technology should work for the benefit of people,” Tokayev asserted, as reported by multiple international outlets.
Tokayev’s proposal was strikingly specific. He envisioned an international commission on AI ethics tasked with creating a set of universal principles—what he called “commandments for algorithms”—designed to ensure respect for human dignity and to prevent discrimination in life-defining decisions. According to Tokayev, such commandments would require “ongoing dialogue among spiritual leaders, scientists, and technology developers.”
The Kazakh president didn’t stop at AI. He also championed the idea of a global peace movement under the Congress’s auspices, suggesting that religious leaders could form its moral backbone. “This initiative could unite not only the broader community of believers, but also politicians, representatives of international organizations, state institutions, experts, and, of course, youth,” he said. Tokayev’s warnings about the mounting risks of global conflict—including the threat of nuclear escalation and what he termed a “civilizational crisis”—underscored the urgency of his message. Citing Kipling, he acknowledged the seemingly irreconcilable divides between East and West but argued that responsible statecraft could bridge these gaps.
Tokayev also raised concerns about the convergence of ultranationalism and patriotism, which he feared could confuse younger generations. He pointed to intensifying clashes between conservative and liberal ideologies and warned that such polarization was driving political instability in many countries. “In such complex realities, constructive diplomacy must play a key role as the main instrument for dialogue, overcoming alienation, and building trust at the international level,” Tokayev concluded.
Meanwhile, in Japan, AI was making headlines for a very different reason. The Path to Rebirth party, a minor political group founded in January 2025 by former mayor Shinji Ishimaru, announced on September 16 that it would appoint artificial intelligence as its new leader. This move came after Ishimaru resigned in the wake of disappointing election results—none of the party’s 42 candidates won seats in the June Tokyo assembly election, and its 10 candidates failed to secure seats in the July upper house election.
Koki Okumura, a 25-year-old doctoral student at Kyoto University, introduced himself as the assistant to the AI leader and the party’s nominal human head. “The new leader will be AI,” Okumura declared at a news conference, according to AFP. He clarified that while the AI would oversee functions such as distributing party resources, it would not control the political activities of individual members. Okumura, who won an internal contest to succeed Ishimaru, described his role as the human link between the AI system and the party.
Despite attracting media attention for its unconventional approach, the Path to Rebirth party has yet to make a dent at the ballot box. Still, the decision to install an AI leader is a sign of the growing willingness to experiment with technology in the political arena—even if the details of how the AI will operate remain to be finalized.
AI’s reach isn’t limited to politics and diplomacy. In Japan’s pop music scene, AKB48, one of the country’s most popular girl groups, released a new single titled “Omoide Scroll” on September 15, 2025. What made this release remarkable was that the song was written in part by artificial intelligence. The contest, aired as part of a special program for AKB48’s 20th anniversary on Nippon TV, pitted the group’s legendary producer and lyricist Yasushi Akimoto against “AI Akimoto”—an AI trained on Akimoto’s extensive catalog of over 7,000 songs using Google Gemini, as reported by the BBC.
Both human and AI contestants were tasked with producing complete songs—lyrics, melody, and arrangement included. Human producers oversaw the final arrangements before release. In a public blind vote, “Omoide Scroll,” performed by newer member Ito Momoka, triumphed with 14,225 votes against Akimoto’s “Cécile,” which garnered 10,535. Akimoto, visibly surprised, responded on air: “What? You’re kidding me!” He admitted disappointment, saying he had written his entry “with all my might,” but conceded that the AI’s song was “a good song.” AI Akimoto, in turn, quipped, “Maybe the real me was trying to show something new by losing this time.” The winning track has since been released on streaming platforms as AKB48’s 67th official single, while “Cécile” was removed from YouTube.
On the global economic front, the World Trade Organization (WTO) released its annual World Trade Report on September 17, 2025, warning that AI could boost the value of global trade in goods and services by nearly 40 percent by 2040. The report projected global trade to rise by 34-37 percent and global GDP to increase by 12-13 percent by 2040, driven by AI-fueled productivity and lower trade costs. WTO Deputy Director General Johanna Hill noted, “AI could be a bright spot for trade in an increasingly complex trading environment.” She highlighted how AI-driven translation technologies could make communication faster and more cost-effective, especially for small producers and retailers hoping to expand into global markets.
The report also pointed out that export growth in low-income countries could increase by up to 11 percent if these nations improved their digital infrastructure. However, the WTO warned that without targeted investment and inclusive policies, AI could deepen existing economic divides. “The effects of the development and deployment of AI are raising concerns that many workers, and even entire economies, could be left behind,” the report stated. WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stressed the need for policies to manage labor market shifts caused by AI, including education, skills retraining, and robust social safety nets. She argued that predictable trade rules and lower tariffs on raw materials essential for AI technologies, such as semiconductors, would be crucial to ensuring the benefits of AI are widely shared.
From Astana to Tokyo, from the halls of the WTO to the stages of J-pop, the world’s engagement with AI is growing deeper, more complex, and—at times—more contentious. As leaders, organizations, and artists wrestle with the ethical, economic, and creative implications of AI, one thing is clear: the conversation is no longer about whether AI will change the world, but how humanity will shape and adapt to its influence.
