Summarizing the past year, it can be confidently stated that the country is moving in a well-defined direction, demonstrating progress in the development of infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and human capital.
Kazakhstan in the Global AI Race
Today, the global AI industry is experiencing rapid growth. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, the generative AI market reached $217 billion and is projected to grow to $1.3 trillion by 2032.
The average annual growth rate is expected to be around 42%. Global trends indicate that artificial intelligence is becoming a powerful tool for transformation, impacting labor productivity, economic growth, and the creation of new sectors.
For Kazakhstan, digitalization has become a priority of state policy. According to the Global AI Readiness Index, the country has improved its position, ranking 48th among 160 countries and leading in Central Asia.
Main Achievements of 2024
Infrastructure
One of the central tasks was to create modern infrastructure to support AI. In 2024, Kazakhstan completed the first phase of a project to develop a supercomputer based on NVIDIA modules. This project laid the foundation for the national language model KazLLM and significantly expanded computational capabilities. The supercomputer will be utilized across various sectors—from healthcare to mining.
Significant progress has also been made in developing digital communication. Over 1,500 5G base stations have been installed in 20 cities across the country, providing high-speed internet. In addition to developing 5G networks, Kazakhstan is actively working to enhance broadband internet. Technical documentation has been completed for a tender to lay fiber optic lines in 3,000 rural settlements.
Furthermore, efforts are underway to provide 4G mobile connectivity along republican and regional highways.
A pilot project for Starlink satellite internet has been launched for more than 1,800 rural schools. Soon, OneWeb will begin offering services commercially, and the Amazon Kuiper project plans to enter the Kazakh market in 2026.
Legislation and Ethics
A significant step has been taken in developing the institutional environment. The Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Development has been established, and the AI Development Concept for 2024-2029 has been adopted. Work is underway on the "On Artificial Intelligence" bill, aimed at ensuring the safe and effective implementation of AI technologies in Kazakhstan.
This document outlines the competencies of government bodies, ethical principles, AI product labeling rules, as well as the classification of systems by risk level and their management mechanisms. It is expected that this will strengthen trust in technologies and their integration into the economy and public administration.
Education and Workforce Development
Kazakhstan is actively investing in workforce training for the AI industry. As part of the AI movement, plans are in place to educate 1 million people in AI skills by 2029. The AI movement represents an ongoing process of popularizing artificial intelligence among the population. It includes training target groups using a mobile application, offering online courses, and supporting AI startups.
Special attention is being paid to school and university education. For middle and high school students, there are plans to expand educational programs with a focus on programming and artificial intelligence, utilizing a game-based approach to learning through TUMO and Tomorrow School. These programs will be implemented in a network of comfortable schools, which will become a key platform for applying the latest educational methodologies.
As a result of scaling, 100,000 students annually will enhance their knowledge in mathematics and programming, master creative technologies, and develop critical thinking. This will create a critical mass of talents ready for further training at Tomorrow School.
Particular focus will be placed on upskilling computer science teachers, providing them with opportunities to train at TUMO and Tomorrow School.
The next step in developing human capital is training government and corporate employees. To enhance the competencies of civil servants in data-driven decision-making, it is proposed to introduce a mandatory basic course on artificial intelligence for current and new employees.
A key location uniting the best minds and cutting-edge technologies will be the International AI Center Alem.ai, which is set to launch this year.
Generative Nation: A New Development Concept
The year 2024 marks the starting point for the Generative Nation concept. This document aims to create a technologically advanced society where AI acts as a catalyst for innovation. Key elements of the concept include the following objectives by 2029:
• Institutional Environment: Kazakhstan aims to rank among the top 10 countries in the world for the quality of legislation according to the IMD ranking; and among the top 30 countries for government readiness to implement AI.
• Human Capital: Training qualified specialists, establishing training centers, and implementing large-scale educational programs. We aim to prepare 1 million people with AI skills.
• Infrastructure: Developing supercomputer capacities, data centers, and a digital ecosystem, supporting innovations through the Astana Hub platform and maintaining computational capabilities of at least 10 exaflops.
How AI Improves the Everyday Life of Kazakhs?
The application of AI will be a crucial part of transforming key sectors of the economy. Even today, various startups in Kazakhstan have achieved significant results. Here are just a few examples:
• Healthcare: Projects like Cerebra (one of the most promising domestic projects) help diagnose strokes and other diseases with high accuracy. Over 700 doctors in around 50 medical institutions in the country, as well as abroad, are analyzing thousands of medical images using AI, significantly speeding up the diagnosis process. Most importantly, they help save lives!
• Public Services: The national AI platform, which has already been developed in a demo version, aims to automate the work of government agencies, simplifying citizens' access to public services. Personal AI assistants will help navigate life situations and find the necessary services.
• Education: Thanks to AI technologies, schoolchildren and students will receive a personalized approach to learning, developing skills in demand in the labor market. For example, the Kazakh edtech startup CodiPlay (which teaches programming through mobile games and the creation of IoT gadgets with a robotics kit) recently attracted $9 million in investment from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). Additionally, another startup, Higgsfield AI (specializing in creating videos based on texts), which ranks in the top 25 in Google’s ratings, raised $16 million from Silicon Valley funds such as Menla Ventures and AICapital.
• Industry: AI technologies are being utilized to optimize logistics, improve production processes, and enhance energy efficiency. Domestic startups like DEREKNET, Neuron Oil, Daedalus, and others are working in Industry 4.0, advancing the country's IT sector in a new direction.
Startups and Innovations
Kazakhstan is actively developing a startup ecosystem. AstanaHub, the largest international tech park in Central Asia, brings together over 1,500 companies, 150 of which operate in the AI sector. These companies export services worth over $500 million annually. This amount is projected to increase year by year.
The tech park's infrastructure hosts offices of major international companies like Playrix, TikTok, inDrive, EPAM, Glovo, DAMUMED, Presight.ai, and others.
Among the promising startups successfully scaling to international markets are CerebraAI, CodiPlay, Parqour, ApartX, Kwaka, Biometric, Beksar, Alaqan, Zypl.ai, ZebraEye, ArlanBiotech, and others.
The Hub provides support to startups at all stages of development through programs such as Scalerator, Techpreneurs, Startup Garage, and Global Outsourcer. Among the flagship accelerators is the Silkway Accelerator, developed in collaboration with Google for Startups, which helps startups enter international markets.
The Tech Orda training program is a leading initiative in IT education: since its launch, over 9,000 Kazakhs have had the opportunity to receive free training in IT specialties.
Astana Hub actively develops international and regional IT hubs, contributing to the formation of an IT community and a steady flow of IT talent in Kazakhstan.</