German Creative Industries Summit in Hamburg Focuses on AI Competence

The third Creative Industries Summit in Hamburg gathered over 1,100 participants to discuss artificial intelligence. Gitta Connemann, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, reported that the German creative sector generates around 205 billion euros in annual revenue and employs over two million people. Hamburg's Senator for Culture Carsten Brosda advised creatives to build competence in AI, emphasizing the need for enthusiasm for the technology while shaping it according to cultural values. He also called for more co-determination on digital platforms to democratize them from within. Egbert Rühl, managing director of Hamburg Kreativgesellschaft and summit host, urged thinking beyond the immediate future. Connemann stressed collaboration over competition, advocating the use of human judgment and creativity to employ AI as a tool. In Hamburg alone, about 31,000 creative industry companies exist—a 27% increase over 13 years—contributing 11.4 billion euros in annual turnover, or roughly 2.6% of the city's total economy. Key concerns include copyright protection and intellectual property rights.