Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a regional leader in digital transformation and artificial intelligence, driven by innovation, strong governance, and global collaboration. With initiatives such as national AI models, supercomputing infrastructure, and partnerships with major tech companies, the country is building a robust digital ecosystem.
The analytical portal News.Az has conducted an exclusive interview with Zhaslan Madiev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In the conversation, Minister Madiev outlines Kazakhstan’s strategic vision for advancing digital transformation and artificial intelligence, highlighting the country’s commitment to innovation, technological leadership, and the creation of a dynamic, future-oriented digital economy.
- Kazakhstan is now actively strengthening its position as one of the leaders in digital transformation in the region. What are the key directions of the national strategy in the field of artificial intelligence and digital development?
- Kazakhstan is now betting on artificial intelligence. We have established the Council for AI Development under the chairmanship of the head of state, which includes several international experts. The technological foundation is formed by a supercomputing cluster and national language models - KazLLM and AlemLLM.
In October, within the framework of the Digital Bridge 2025 forum, the technical opening of the International Center for AI, Alem.AI, took place. It brings together educational platforms, R&D laboratories, and startup offices.
Photo credit: primeminister.kz
The country is shaping a strategy of leadership in regional digital transformation. 4G and 5G networks are being actively deployed, new data centers are being built, and digital highways are being implemented. By 2026, more than 3,000 villages, including remote ones using satellite access, will be connected to the Internet. Pilot projects of Starlink and OneWeb have already shown stable results.
A historic agreement was recently signed: Amazon Project Kuiper is officially entering the Kazakh market. The roadmap formalized the partnership between the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, Kazakhtelecom JSC, and Amazon. In the coming years, residents of Kazakhstan, including those in the most remote rural areas, will gain access to modern satellite Internet.
Special attention is being paid to new areas such as the crypto industry and Web3. Initiatives have been launched to create a “Cryptocity,” a zone for the legal use of cryptocurrencies in payments, as well as a Solana Economic Zone Kazakhstan pilot. These projects are forming the region’s innovation showcase and enhancing the country’s international appeal.
Photo credit: Kazinform
Alongside this, Kazakhstan holds a leading position in GovTech. More than 1,200 services are already available online via eGov and eGovMobile, with over 11 million users. The country ranks 10th in the world and 1st among CIS countries in the UN Online Services Index, and is among the top 25 in the e-Government ranking. International awards confirm this progress: the “Digital Family Map” received the GovTech Prize, and the Smart Data Ukimet system was recognized as the “Project of the Year” by Global CIO.
All these initiatives confirm that Kazakhstan is reaching a new level, forming a digital economy based on innovation, IT exports, and international cooperation.
- Recently, Pavel Durov announced the launch of the Alem.AI laboratory in Kazakhstan, which will operate at the intersection of artificial intelligence and blockchain. What is the role of the state in this project, and can it be considered part of a broader strategy to attract global technology leaders to Kazakhstan?
- The launch of the AI Lab Telegram in Kazakhstan is the result of a systemic state policy aimed at creating an open innovation ecosystem. We are building conditions where global companies not only enter the market but become full participants in it.
The role of the state is strategic: the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development creates the infrastructural and institutional foundations and develops human capital.
The AI Lab Telegram will serve as a platform where AI and blockchain technologies are integrated into practical solutions focused on transparency, data security, and efficiency. For the first time, Kazakhstan acts not only as a consumer but also as a supplier of world-class computing power and ideas - our supercomputing cluster will be one of the key resources of the project.
This fully aligns with our strategy to turn Kazakhstan into a hub attracting global technology leaders. Following the opening of Telegram’s office at Astana Hub, we have seen growing interest from other international companies that view Kazakhstan as a reliable partner with modern infrastructure, a solid legal framework, and a visionary approach to developing the digital future.
- One of the ministry’s tasks is to develop technological entrepreneurship. What measures are being taken to enable young IT startups and research teams to compete successfully on a global scale?
- Developing technological entrepreneurship is a strategic priority because startups are shaping the new economy. Our goal is to create an ecosystem where an idea quickly becomes a product and talent turns into a sustainable business.
Kazakhstan already hosts Astana Hub, the largest international technopark for IT startups in Central Asia. It brings together more than 1,800 companies, including 465 foreign ones. Startups there receive tax benefits, grant support, access to mentors, and international investors.
Photo credit: freepik.com
Significant attention is given to educational and acceleration programs such as Tech Orda and Startup School, which help young developers move from idea to product scaling.
For research teams, R&D laboratories are being established at the Alem.AI International Center for Artificial Intelligence.
Moreover, Kazakhstan is consistently expanding international partnerships with companies such as Google, Amazon, Binance, Huawei, and Solana. This opens access for Kazakh startups to global markets and integration into international technology chains.
Our ultimate goal is for Kazakhstan to become not only a consumer but also an exporter of technologies, and for young Kazakh companies to confidently compete in the global digital arena.
- Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan already cooperate in the digital sphere - from cybersecurity to e-government. Is there potential for joint projects in the field of artificial intelligence, including data exchange, training specialists, and creating innovation centers?
- Yes, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are already actively cooperating in the digital sphere, and one of the priority areas is the development of joint projects in artificial intelligence. We see enormous potential for sharing experience, data, and technologies, as well as for joint training of specialists.
Photo editor: Dastan Shanay
Kazakhstan is currently promoting the initiative to create a Turkic large language model (LLM) that unites the scientific potential of the Turkic-speaking countries. The country has already developed its own models - KazLLM and AlemLLM, including those in the Kazakh language.
In July 2025, Kazakhstan opened the National Supercomputer Center Alem.Cloud, the largest computing cluster in Central Asia. It enables the training and deployment of advanced AI models and supports world-class scientific and engineering computations.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are also enhancing cooperation between IT companies, research centers, and startups through Astana Hub and the Silkroad Innovation Hub in the United States. Several Azerbaijani startups, including Tryverse, Metatesk, Voiceloft, and Tripsome.com, have already successfully completed acceleration programs at Astana Hub. These companies are implementing projects in Azerbaijan and show strong potential for scaling.
Kazakh IT companies are also entering the Azerbaijani market. At the upcoming IT exhibition, coinciding with the state leader’s visit, their project results will be presented.
This cooperation forms a solid foundation for integrating innovation ecosystems and launching joint centers of excellence in AI, GovTech, and digital services.
- The issues of AI ethics and regulation are becoming increasingly relevant. How does Kazakhstan plan to maintain a balance between technological progress, data security, and citizens’ rights protection amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence?
- This is indeed one of the key challenges of the new technological era - maintaining a balance between innovation and responsibility. Kazakhstan views artificial intelligence not merely as a tool of progress but as a technology meant to serve people.
Therefore, ethical issues, data protection, and citizens’ rights are embedded in the foundation of state policy on AI.
Photo credit: parlaminst
We are developing a legal and ethical framework to ensure the safe advancement of technology. The draft law “On Artificial Intelligence” is currently being reviewed in Parliament. It clearly outlines principles such as algorithmic transparency, non-discrimination, and accountability of both developers and users.
Particular attention is paid to digital sovereignty: all critical data is stored and processed domestically using national infrastructure, including the Alem.Cloud supercomputer center. This ensures the protection of citizens’ and businesses’ information while maintaining openness for international cooperation.
We understand that trust is the foundation of any technology. Therefore, Kazakhstan is consistently developing national AI ethics standards to promote responsible and human-centered innovation.
