TLDR: Kazakhstan is rapidly advancing its artificial intelligence capabilities and digital infrastructure, marked by the launch of a national supercomputing center, a Kazakh large language model, and a National AI Platform. The country is also committed to achieving nationwide high-speed internet access by 2027, with significant investments in fiber-optic and 5G networks, alongside extensive AI training programs for its citizens and integration of AI across key economic sectors.
ALMATY – Kazakhstan has demonstrated remarkable progress in the development and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies over the past three years, as highlighted by a statement from the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. This strategic push aims to position the nation as a leader in the digital economy, with significant investments in both AI innovation and nationwide digital connectivity.
Central to Kazakhstan’s AI advancements is the launch of alem.cloud, the region’s largest national supercomputing center. This facility provides a robust technological backbone for the country’s burgeoning AI ecosystem. A notable achievement is AlemLLM, a Kazakh large language model, which has been made publicly available and is actively utilized by universities, government agencies, and the IT community.
Kazakhstan’s commitment to fostering its domestic IT sector is evident in the export of its IT products, including AI solutions, which has surpassed 140 billion tenge (approximately USD$260 million). The Astana Hub, through its international offices in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, China, and the UAE, plays a crucial role in supporting the export of these services and attracting foreign investment.
In digital governance, the National AI Platform stands out, featuring over 100 AI agents that automate key e-government services such as Egov and e-Otinish. Built on an open-source architecture, this platform has significantly reduced administrative workloads and enhanced service accessibility for citizens. Another impactful initiative is the Digital Family Map project, developed in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This AI-powered scoring model meticulously aggregates real-time data from more than 120 sources to assess the well-being of over 6 million families across the nation.
AI technologies are also being strategically introduced across Kazakhstan’s major economic sectors. In construction, a unified digital platform for project planning and tracking is currently under development. The agricultural sector benefits from satellite monitoring systems that analyze land and crop productivity, while digital tools are being implemented to optimize resource utilization, particularly water sources.
Investing in human capital is a cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s digital strategy, spearheaded by its AI Movement initiative. More than 400,000 individuals have already received training through programs like AI-Sana, AI-Qyzmet, and AI-People, targeting the general public. By the end of 2025, the AI-Corporate program is set to launch for major state holdings such as Samruk Kazyna, Baiterek, and the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs. The country’s ambitious goal is to train 1 million citizens in AI within five years. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Kazakhstan is introducing ‘Day of AI,’ an educational course for schoolchildren from grades 1 to 4, with plans for broader expansion across all grade levels.
Parallel to AI development, Kazakhstan is making significant strides in digital connectivity. The nation aims to provide all its population with high-speed internet by 2027, as part of its drive to become a fully digital nation within the next three years. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, Zhaslan Madiyev, stated that over 1 trillion tenge (USD$2.1 billion) has been invested in the telecom sector over the past three years, boosting the country’s average internet speed to 94 Mbps. ‘Under the national project, we aim to achieve 100% internet coverage and speeds exceeding 100 Mbps. Optical fiber lines will reach 90% of rural settlements,’ Madiyev affirmed.
By 2026, fiber-optic networks will be extended to an additional 3,000 villages, with a total investment of 323 billion tenge (USD$670 million). The remaining 10% of smaller, remote settlements will be connected through satellite internet.
Mobile coverage is also expanding, with 4G technology reaching 92% of settlements and 5G networks being rolled out across 20 major cities, covering up to 75% of their territories. Additionally, 40,000 kilometers of highways will have full 4G access by 2027. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov underscored the importance of this infrastructure, stating, ‘A stable internet connection is not a luxury but a basic need of modern citizens and the economy. We must ensure reliable connectivity everywhere — from remote villages to highways.’ Freedom Telecom is playing a key role in this expansion, with plans to deploy a national Wi-Fi operator, providing 10,000 access points by 2026 and 20,000 by 2027, offering speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second.
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President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, in a joint statement with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, commended Kazakhstan’s trajectory, noting, ‘Over the past few years, the reforms carried out by President [Kassym-Jomart Tokayev], the focus on modernization and the development of modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, demonstrate that Kazakhstan is confidently moving toward development and modernization.’
