Kazakhstan vice minister calls for labels on AI-generated media

Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Culture and Information, Kanat Iskakov, has called for media created using artificial intelligence to be clearly labelled, saying audiences should know when AI has been used in news and other material. Speaking at Astana Media Week 2026 in Astana, Iskakov presented disclosure as a principle for a more transparent media environment and stronger public trust. He also urged the development of professional and ethical standards governing AI use in journalism. An AI law enacted earlier this year, according to Kursiv, already requires individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations to label AI-generated content. The law specifies that labels must be machine-readable, allowing software and digital systems to identify them automatically. Iskakov’s remarks focused on editorial accountability. AI can speed the preparation and delivery of documents and materials, he said, but journalists and editorial teams remain responsible for what they publish. “An algorithm can generate text, but it cannot assume responsibility for the content,” he said. “Responsibility always remains with journalists.” He described AI as a useful media tool that can improve operations while creating risks, and argued that greater technological capability demands greater responsibility in its use. He proposed working with media organisations and the public on principles for responsible AI deployment, including ethical rules grounded in professional standards and supported by journalists. Such standards could encourage self-regulation and internal accountability within newsrooms. Iskakov also outlined what he called a new architecture of trust, based on quality media, human responsibility and technology serving people’s interests. The government will continue to support high-quality content through legislation, funding and grants, with two projects underway: one on fact-checking and information verification, and another on content production across state and non-state sectors. His intervention took place as the three-day forum marked the 10th anniversary of Astana Media Week. Its agenda includes media-industry transformation, AI’s impact on journalism and approaches to building trust in information. The discussion follows the introduction of European Union AI-transparency requirements on Aug. 2, which cover deepfakes and certain other AI-generated material, including public-interest text published without human editorial oversight or review. Iskakov predicted that distinctions between websites, television and news agencies would increasingly fade as information is distributed in multiple formats across an interconnected information ecosystem. Astana Media Week runs through Oct. 16.