AI to help Kazakhstani authors earn royalties from Instagram

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Justice is set to use artificial intelligence (AI) to protect the copyrights of creative professionals and help them receive royalties from Instagram, Minister Yerlan Sarsembayev announced at a recent cabinet meeting.

The issue of copyright protection gained attention after an incident in the fall of 2024 when musical works by Kazakhstani artists and composers were removed from Meta’s platform. Several artists and songwriters filed complaints with Meta, claiming they had not received royalties for their work.

«This incident exposed flaws in the field of collective rights management. As a result, we decided this area needs to be digitalized. We plan to provide authors and other rights holders with the ability to monitor all stages of the process online. We are currently working on introducing a digital platform with AI elements,» Sarsembayev said.

The new system will enable real-time tracking of agreements, royalty collection, distribution and payments. Additionally, it will feature an analysis and reporting system, enhanced search tools for registered intellectual property in the state register and a mobile application integrated with government and international databases.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov endorsed the initiative and called for reducing inefficiencies in the industry.

«I fully support the new approaches you mentioned. Digitization should cut unnecessary costs, eliminate redundant structures and positions, and ultimately improve the efficiency of the state apparatus as a whole. This applies to all government agencies,» Bektenov said.

The removal of Kazakh music from Instagram in late 2024 was reportedly due to the expiration of an agreement between Meta and the Kazakhstan Society of Authors. Artists also claimed they had not received the royalties they were owed from the platform.