Astana Puts Artificial Intelligence at the Center of Kazakhstan’s Regional Ambitions

ASTANA, Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan is placing artificial intelligence at the center of its economic and technological strategy as the capital hosts AI & Digital Bridge 2026, one of the region’s major international technology gatherings.

Taking place from October 1 to 3 at Astana’s EXPO International Exhibition Centre, the forum brings together technology companies, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, startups and government representatives to discuss artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, robotics, venture capital and the transformation of business and public services.

More than 20,000 participants and over 100 technology companies are expected to take part in this year’s program, which includes conferences, technology exhibitions, robotics demonstrations, Startup Alley and the Astana Hub Battle.

Previously known as Digital Bridge, the forum was launched in 2018 and has developed into a major meeting point for the technology industry in Central Eurasia. Over its previous editions, it has attracted more than 127,000 participants from 100 countries, alongside more than 1,500 speakers and hundreds of startups.

Its transformation into AI & Digital Bridge reflects a wider change in Kazakhstan’s development strategy: artificial intelligence is increasingly being treated not simply as another technology sector, but as an important component of the country’s future economy.

From Digitalization to Artificial Intelligence

Kazakhstan has declared 2026 the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, placing AI development high on the national agenda.

AI & Digital Bridge is also the centerpiece of a broader AI Month running from September 23 to October 23, bringing together international technology companies, investors, developers, startups, government institutions and researchers.

Speaking at the forum, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the need for responsible development of artificial intelligence and greater international technological cooperation.

He highlighted the rapidly expanding impact of AI on industry, finance, education, science and public administration, while arguing that technological development must also address questions of regulation and safety.

The message reflects an important element of Kazakhstan’s approach.

Rather than attempting to compete directly in scale with established AI powers such as the United States or China, Kazakhstan is developing a strategy centered on infrastructure, human capital, regional connectivity, startups and partnerships with international technology companies.

Building an AI Ecosystem

One of the most important challenges facing countries seeking to participate in the AI economy is access to computing power.

Kazakhstan has been investing in this area while developing its domestic digital infrastructure and national AI capabilities.

Projects presented at this year’s forum include the AI-Enabled University model at Qazaq AI Research University, digital-government initiatives, artificial-intelligence applications and plans for the development of a Data Center Valley cluster.

The objective is to create an ecosystem in which computing infrastructure, universities, startups, government institutions and private companies can operate together.

Kazakhstan is also developing national large-language models and AI systems designed to work with the country’s languages and domestic requirements.

Such projects have a strategic dimension. Countries that rely entirely on foreign AI infrastructure and models risk becoming primarily consumers of technology developed elsewhere.

By investing in domestic capabilities, Kazakhstan is attempting to develop greater technological capacity of its own while remaining connected to international technology ecosystems.

Developing People as Well as Machines

Computing power alone, however, will not determine whether Kazakhstan succeeds.

Human capital will be equally important.

The country has increasingly focused on developing engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs and AI specialists capable of turning infrastructure into commercially and socially useful technologies.

One of its flagship initiatives is alem.ai, the international artificial intelligence center in Astana designed to combine education, research, startup development and international cooperation.

AI Month also includes hackathons and programs intended to encourage young developers to create AI applications addressing practical challenges in the Kazakh economy.

The broader objective is to build a pipeline connecting education, research, computing infrastructure, entrepreneurship and commercial applications.

That matters because the global competition surrounding artificial intelligence is increasingly a competition not only for processors and data centers, but also for people capable of developing and applying the technology.

Kazakhstan’s Potential Role in Central Asia

Kazakhstan’s strategy has implications beyond its borders.

Central Asia is becoming an increasingly important digital market, with governments and private companies across the region investing in digital infrastructure, online public services and artificial intelligence.

Kazakhstan enters this transformation with several established advantages: an advanced digital-government infrastructure, the Astana Hub technology ecosystem, expanding computing capacity and growing relationships with international technology and investment companies.

The country has also developed a significant technology export sector.

According to figures presented by President Tokayev at the forum, Kazakhstan’s exports of IT services exceeded $1 billion in 2025, while Kazakh digital solutions are now available in more than 100 countries.

At the same time, Kazakhstan is not alone in pursuing the opportunity.

Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states are developing their own technology sectors, digital infrastructure and artificial-intelligence programs.

The question, therefore, is not whether Central Asia will participate in the AI transformation, but what roles the individual countries of the region will ultimately establish.

For Kazakhstan, the objective is increasingly visible: to create a regional environment where computing infrastructure, international investment, startups, education and AI research intersect.

Bringing Global Technology to Astana

International participation is another important component of the strategy.

AI & Digital Bridge brings global technology executives, investors and entrepreneurs into direct contact with Kazakhstan’s emerging technology sector.

This year’s broader program involves companies and representatives from fields including artificial intelligence, computing infrastructure, venture capital, financial technology, satellite communications and digital services.

The conference also provides a platform for startups from Kazakhstan and elsewhere in Central Asia.

Startup Alley showcases companies working in fields including MedTech, FinTech, EdTech, GovTech, Big Data and cybersecurity, while the Astana Hub Battle gives emerging technology companies an opportunity to present their businesses to investors and an international audience.

This international dimension may ultimately prove as important as the conference itself.

For a country with a domestic market considerably smaller than those of the world’s major technology powers, Kazakhstan’s potential competitive advantage lies partly in its ability to act as a bridge between international technology companies and the wider Central Asian market.

Ambition Will Be Measured by Execution

The scale of Kazakhstan’s artificial-intelligence ambitions is becoming increasingly visible.

But conferences, infrastructure projects and investment announcements are only part of the equation.

The longer-term measure will be whether Kazakhstan can convert these initiatives into sustainable technology companies, internationally competitive research, skilled specialists and commercially successful AI products.

Energy requirements, access to advanced computing, regulation, cybersecurity, private investment and the availability of qualified specialists will all influence that outcome.

This is why the gathering taking place in Astana this week is significant — not because a single conference can establish Kazakhstan as an artificial-intelligence leader, but because it demonstrates the direction in which the country is moving.

Kazakhstan is increasingly treating artificial intelligence as part of its long-term economic strategy and investing simultaneously in digital infrastructure, education, startups, international partnerships and public-sector technology.

If those elements can be successfully connected, Kazakhstan could play an increasingly important role in shaping the development and adoption of artificial intelligence across Central Asia.

For now, AI & Digital Bridge 2026 is a visible demonstration of that ambition — and of Astana’s attempt to establish itself as one of Central Asia’s principal meeting points for technology, investment and artificial intelligence.