TLDR: Kazakhstan has taken a pioneering step by appointing an Artificial Intelligence board member with voting rights to its sovereign wealth fund. This move is part of the nation’s broader strategy to become a fully digital state by 2028, involving new AI legislation, the establishment of a Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, and significant investments in AI development and education.
In a landmark decision reflecting its ambitious digital transformation agenda, Kazakhstan has announced the appointment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) board member to its sovereign wealth fund, granting it full voting rights. This unprecedented integration of AI into national financial governance underscores Kazakhstan’s commitment to leveraging advanced technology for strategic decision-making and achieving its goal of becoming a fully digital state by 2028.
The appointment, reported on October 3, 2025, by bne IntelliNews, follows a series of significant legislative and institutional developments in the Central Asian nation. In August, the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence was officially inaugurated, signaling a dedicated governmental focus on AI development and regulation. This was further solidified by the adoption of a new law on artificial intelligence on September 24, which establishes a comprehensive legal framework for AI, addressing critical aspects such as public safety, personal data protection, and fostering innovation.
According to Yekaterina Smyshlyayeva, working group leader for the AI legislation, the new law grants users the right to information about AI system operations, the ability to request reviews and explanations of AI decisions, and the right to refuse interaction with AI. Crucially, the law prohibits the use of digital technologies for controlling human behavior, exploiting emotions, conducting social assessments, or collecting personal data without consent. Mandatory audits will be introduced for AI systems to ensure compliance, and systems will be classified by risk levels, with high-risk systems subject to special control as critical information and communication infrastructure.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has consistently championed digitalization and AI as core priorities, outlining a vision for modernizing both the national economy and public administration. In his annual address on September 8, he called for the acceleration of a Digital Code, which will serve as a foundational document for Kazakhstan’s digital strategy, encompassing AI, the platform economy, and big data. He also announced plans for a state fund for digital assets, based on the National Bank’s investment corporation, to accumulate a strategic crypto reserve.
Kazakhstan is also making substantial investments in human capital development for the AI era. The government aims to train one million people in AI skills within five years, integrating AI into all educational programs starting in 2025. Currently, 30 higher education institutions offer 38 AI-related educational programs, and 62 AI projects, totaling 9.7 billion tenge (approximately US$17 million), are underway.
Furthermore, the International Center for Artificial Intelligence – alem.ai – is set to be inaugurated on October 2, serving as a hub for talent, researchers, entrepreneurs, and government officials to collaborate on domestic AI solutions. Experts also highlight the growing importance of the crypto industry in the context of AI, noting Kazakhstan’s developing crypto-friendly legislation.
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This bold move to empower an AI with voting rights on a sovereign wealth fund board positions Kazakhstan as a global leader in AI governance, demonstrating a proactive approach to integrating advanced technology at the highest levels of national economic management.
