Putin expects global conflicts to continue in near future

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he expects the continuation of conflicts around the world in the near future.

Putin told a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow that he sees the probability as "high."

“The continuation of international conflicts in the coming years is very likely. I would very much like to be mistaken,” he noted.

He also said there were reasonable concerns about the functioning of the UN, which he said was operating in "a less collegial and democratic manner" than originally intended.

"Russia supports the idea of a fair reform of the UN, but it is impossible now without an internal consensus," he said.

He also advocated for reforming the structure so that it reflects the diversity of the world.

"Asia, Africa and Latin America should play an increasingly significant role in the UN," he said.

Turning to artificial intelligence, Putin said experts were increasingly warning that its spread could lead to people being stripped of their individuality and reduced to a common denominator.

He warned that the development of AI could result in "digital totalitarianism."

"Possible ‘digital totalitarianism' in the development of AI will become just as dead-end, bleak and anti-human as the totalitarian societies of the past," he said.