AI in Central Asia’s financial sector is no longer a fashionable add-on. It has become a dividing line between leaders and laggards. A comprehensive report by the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the Fintech AI Center highlights a stark reality: while some institutions are building sovereign data centers, others are still attempting to automate basic document management processes.
Kazakhstan is setting the pace. In his introduction to the report, Timur Suleimenov, Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, echoes President Tokayev’s digital modernization agenda, writing: “Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a new paradigm for the development of the national economy… Our country faces the task of not only avoiding being left on the periphery of the global technological trend, but also of using its potential to accelerate economic modernization.”
The regional AI race in finance is effectively underway, and the findings reveal deep digital inequality.
The Balance of Power: Leaders and Followers
A review of AI implementation across the region shows a pronounced technological divide. Kazakhstan remains the undisputed leader. Its banking sector has moved beyond experimental pilot projects. According to the report, AI is most actively deployed in the development of new products (14% of financial institutions) and marketing (13%), where neural networks enable hyper-personalized offerings. A further 10% of institutions use AI in operational activities and compliance.
Elsewhere in Central Asia, governments are developing ambitious strategies, but implementation in the financial sector remains limited.
Kyrgyzstan plans to launch a National AI Platform under its Digital Transformation Concept for 2024-2028. However, most of the country’s banks remain at the pilot or early implementation stage. Current AI applications focus primarily on decision-making optimization and advertising materials rather than complex financial operations.
Tajikistan has positioned itself prominently at the policy level. It adopted an AI Development Strategy through 2040, the region’s first long-term framework, and initiated a United Nations General Assembly resolution on AI for Central Asia in July 2025. Yet in practice, the country’s financial market is dominated by microfinance organizations (MFOs), which are cautious in adopting advanced technologies. Their AI use is largely confined to risk management and documentation, while automation, software development, and data processing lag behind. Only 7% of institutions apply AI in financial consulting and customer support.
Uzbekistan has taken a different route, prioritizing international and regional partnerships.
In October 2024, the government approved its AI Development Strategy through 2030. Rather than building infrastructure independently, Tashkent is partnering with global technology providers. The state is working with Huawei to develop physical AI infrastructure and deploy ready-made industry solutions.
At the same time, Uzbekistan is strengthening its academic capacity, including investments in high-performance computing for Inha University in Tashkent. Regional integration is also central to its strategy: IT Park Uzbekistan has signed a memorandum with Kazakhstan’s Astana Hub to integrate startup ecosystems. This combination, collaboration with global vendors, academic investment, and regional partnerships, is enabling Uzbekistan to narrow its technological gap more quickly.
People Instead of Servers
Digital inequality is most evident in spending priorities. Investment structures reveal the stage of development each market has reached.
Kazakhstan’s financial sector has largely moved beyond infrastructure acquisition. Its institutions are focusing on market expansion: 14% of AI-related investments target new product development, and 13% are directed toward algorithmic marketing. This spending pattern reflects a sector seeking competitive growth.
Uzbekistan, by contrast, is still building its technological foundation. Under its 2030 strategy and partnership model, investment flows are directed toward servers, data centers, and cloud infrastructure. The logic is straightforward: advanced algorithms require robust physical infrastructure.
In Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, where microfinance institutions play a dominant role, a structural challenge has emerged. Budgets indicate that funding is available for software but human capital is limited.
According to the report, 33% of companies in these markets prioritize staff training, while 19% allocate funds to retraining and specialist recruitment. In total, roughly half of AI-related investment is directed at addressing personnel shortages. Meanwhile, 30% of institutions report spending resources on identifying viable use cases. In practical terms, this reflects uncertainty about how to monetize AI investments, an indicator of strategic immaturity rather than technological ambition.
Sovereign Clouds Versus Global Vendors
Despite disparities in funding and capacity, all regional players share one concern: data security and control.
The report cites a position by the Bank for International Settlements stating that AI does not create fundamentally new risks but extends existing ones. Nevertheless, the scale of potential threats, including data breaches, cyberattacks, and algorithmic bias, is increasing.
Kazakhstan has opted for a costly but strategically autonomous model. The National Bank is pursuing sovereign infrastructure rather than relying on foreign cloud providers. Suleimenov states in the report:
“The National Bank has an important mission, to provide a modern, secure, and reliable infrastructure… To fulfill this mission, the National Bank is launching new data centers.”
This signals that the state intends to act as chief infrastructure architect, maintaining physical control over computing capacity and financial data. The approach is designed to mitigate geopolitical and service-disruption risks.
Other Central Asian countries, constrained by financial and technical resources, are relying on alternative strategies. Tajikistan is emphasizing legal frameworks, positioning its long-term strategy and international initiatives as safeguards. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are pursuing partnership-based models, contracting global technology providers, including Chinese firms, that offer integrated data-protection standards.
These divergent strategies are reshaping the regional financial technology landscape. While Kazakhstan is investing in sovereign infrastructure and regulatory control, its neighbors are integrating into global value chains through partnership models. Astana appears to be positioning itself not only as a fintech leader but as a potential regional infrastructure hub.
