Artificial intelligence - The Times Of Central Asia

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Artificial intelligence

Kazakhstan Navigates Rival U.S. and China AI Frameworks

Kazakhstan has found itself in an unusual position as the technological rivalry between the United States and China intensifies. Within a matter of weeks, Astana first joined the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative and then became a founding member of the Beijing-backed World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO). Washington is now preparing to warn countries aligned with its AI strategy that participation in competing frameworks may be incompatible, Reuters has reported. For Kazakhstan, such a choice would be uncomfortable for more than political reasons. The United States is home to many of the world’s leading AI and semiconductor companies and offers access to investment and advanced technology. Kazakhstan, meanwhile, has critical mineral reserves that Washington is keen to bring into secure supply chains. China is next door, remains one of Kazakhstan’s leading trading partners, and offers countries without their own advanced technologies broader access to Chinese developments. Zamir Karazhanov, a political scientist and director of the Kemel Arna Public Foundation, believes Kazakhstan is unlikely to abandon cooperation with China on artificial intelligence. Much, he says, will depend on how far Washington is prepared to go and whether technological alignment becomes a condition for continued partnership with the United States. Pax Silica was launched by Washington in late 2025. Despite its name, the initiative goes far beyond silicon and chips. It covers the supply chains and physical infrastructure underpinning AI, including critical minerals, semiconductors, energy, and computing capacity. Kazakhstan officially joined Pax Silica on June 25, 2026, becoming the first Central Asian country to enter the initiative. The accession declaration was signed in Washington by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev. For Kazakhstan, participation also has a tangible economic dimension: the country has a substantial mineral resource base needed for high-tech manufacturing. The Times of Central Asia has previously examined why joining Pax Silica could help Kazakhstan attract foreign investment into mining, energy, data centers, and manufacturing for the AI economy. U.S. interest in Kazakhstan’s mineral resources predates Pax Silica. In June, Astana hosted a C5+1 critical minerals dialogue involving representatives of all five Central Asian states and U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, Sergio Gor. The American side spoke openly about expanding cooperation with the region on secure supply chains. But in July, Astana took another step, this time toward Beijing. Kazakhstan became one of 29 founding members of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. The agreement establishing WAICO was signed in Shanghai, where the organization will also be headquartered. Beijing has presented the new organization as a mechanism for international cooperation on AI governance and narrowing the technological gap between countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping has also promoted China’s open-weight AI models as a more accessible alternative for countries that cannot afford or easily access leading proprietary systems. However, Beijing is also considering restrictions on overseas access to some of China’s leading AI models. In July, Xi Jinping pitched WAICO as part of China’s effort to advance its own model of global...

AI Education

Kazakhstan Rolls Out AI Education From School to University

In the 2026-27 academic year, Kazakhstan’s first artificial intelligence university plans to enroll 600 students and trainees. AI use is also being expanded in schools, with a separate pilot planned for ten small rural schools. Kazakhstan is therefore trying to build its AI talent pipeline from both ends of the education system. Science and Higher Education Minister Sayasat Nurbek announced the first intake at Qazaq AI Research University (QAIRU) during a government meeting. Nurbek said 400 students would be admitted to bachelor’s programs, including 308 on state grants, while another 100 would join master’s programs. “In addition, the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund will send 100 of its employees to study under the MBA AI+X program,” he said. QAIRU is located in Astana on the former EXPO 2017 site, alongside Astana Hub and the Alem.ai cluster. The university says it intends to train engineers capable of building their own AI systems rather than simply using existing AI services. Its bachelor’s program lasts three years and is taught entirely in English. Education is based on the AI+X model, combining artificial intelligence with specific disciplines and industries, including healthcare and energy. The university was first proposed while the project was still being developed. Other parts of higher education are also changing. According to Nurbek, Unified National Testing (UNT) certificates are already available through eGov, and AI proctoring is in use. The National Testing Center has also launched AI-Talapker, a chatbot that answers questions about the UNT and university admissions. Key information on students and graduates is also being consolidated on the Unified Higher Education Platform. “The next stage is the introduction of artificial intelligence-based solutions into the educational process,” Nurbek said. He said these would be used for admissions and to support personalized learning and career guidance. In schools, students will encounter AI earlier in their education. Education Minister Zhuldyz Suleimenova told the same government meeting that artificial intelligence technologies will become part of the educational process in the new academic year. “One of the features of the new academic year will be the use and study of artificial intelligence technologies in schools,” Suleimenova said. AI content will be added to the existing digital literacy and computer science curricula. Separately, the government has decided to test AI tools in rural schools, where opportunities to teach individual subjects are often more limited than in large cities. The pilot will begin on September 1 in ten small schools in the Pavlodar and Kyzylorda regions, with instruction in Kazakh and Russian. AI solutions will be tested in fourth-grade classes covering mathematics, digital literacy, the native language, and AI. The pilot will expand to 50 schools in November, and another 300 schools are scheduled to join in January 2027. The pilot phase is expected to cover 500 small rural schools. Officials have assessed internet speeds and computer availability, along with staffing capacity and schools’ readiness to introduce AI solutions. More than 350,000 teachers have already received training in the use of AI in education. For rural Kazakhstan, this part of the program...

Cybersecurity

Kazakhstan Examines Data Leak Claim Involving 15 Million People

A database allegedly containing the personal information of 15 million people in Kazakhstan has appeared on the dark web. The seller is asking 0.5 bitcoin, about $32,000, for a dataset containing tens of millions of records. The seller claims the information was obtained after hacking the government’s eGov portal. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development has not confirmed that account. Specialists are examining samples of the database and trying to determine where the data came from. The sale was reported by the Russian Telegram channel Mash. According to the channel, the file is about 2.7 GB and contains 47 million rows. Its description lists passport details, phone numbers, email addresses, places of employment, passwords, and scans of documents. The claim that the database contains information on 15 million people has not been independently confirmed. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development disputes the allegation that eGov was hacked. It said a preliminary review had found no evidence that government e-services were breached, and that officials were examining samples of the data to determine where they came from. The ministry has also questioned parts of the database description. For example, eGov does not store scanned copies of passports in the form described by the seller, while digital documents have a different structure. The allegation follows at least two other major cases involving personal data in the past 14 months. In June 2025, around 16 million records containing the names, individual identification numbers, addresses, and phone numbers of Kazakhstani citizens were found to be publicly accessible. The Health Ministry later said the dataset had been compiled from various sources, possibly including the information systems of medical organizations. It said any information originating from medical systems dated from before April 1, 2024. The Digital Ministry later reported that the investigation had found no signs of a direct hack. According to the ministry, much of the information had been extracted in 2022, possibly by someone with legitimate access to personal data or by a third party using credentials that had been shared or stolen. The investigation into that leak has still not been completed. In April 2026, the National Security Committee said the criminal case remained under investigation. The agency disclosed no further details, citing the confidentiality of the investigation. The allegation comes just two months after police seized another large database containing personal information on nearly 16 million Kazakhstanis from employees of a collection agency in the Zhetysu region. It is not known whether the two datasets are connected. Investigators must therefore establish whether the database offered for sale is authentic and how recent its contents are. The 2025 case showed how information from different sources and different years can be combined into a single database, meaning a large file offered for sale does not necessarily represent a new breach. There is reason to take such reports seriously. According to KZ-CERT data cited by research agency Finprom, Kazakhstan recorded 9,400 information security incidents in the first three months of 2026. Nearly...

Artificial intelligence

AI E-Government in Kazakhstan Expands Into Jobs and Benefits

Kazakhstan is preparing a deeper overhaul of its e-government system, with artificial intelligence expected to identify which service citizens need, match unemployed people with vacancies, and assist officials in identifying potential recipients of social assistance. The plans were outlined at a government meeting on August 11 by Minister of AI and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev and Minister of Labor and Social Protection Askarbek Yertayev. Several are expected to expand nationwide by the end of 2026. eGov GPT, which the government was testing earlier this year, currently works with 50 of the most frequently used public services. According to Madiyev, these account for around 30% of citizens’ requests. The government plans to increase that share to 70% by the end of the year. Madiyev said the assistant was used more than 150,000 times during its first four months. An official government description of the system says it can identify the appropriate public service from a user's request and help complete it online. The idea is for users to simply describe their situation in ordinary language, for example, “I need to register my address” or “My child is starting school this year.” eGov GPT identifies the relevant procedure, helps prepare the application, and guides it through the government system. Kazakhstan began building its e-government system in the 2000s, long before the current boom in generative AI. In the latest UN E-Government Survey, the country ranked 24th among 193 states, the highest position in Central Asia. The index assesses countries' online public services alongside the infrastructure and human capacity needed to use them. What is changing now is the way citizens interact with the state. Previously, digitizing a service meant that instead of travelling to a Public Service Centre, Kazakhstan’s equivalent of a government service centre, a citizen could fill in the required form online. The new model is intended to remove part of that work as well. According to Madiyev, the number of requests handled directly by Public Service Centre staff has already fallen by around 30%. The authorities plan gradually to transform the centres into what they call AI offices. Visitors will be able to submit a request through eGov GPT, apply for an identity card, passport, or driving licence through a terminal, and collect the finished document from a parcel locker, including at weekends. The government has not said what the shift will mean for staffing levels at the centres. Nevertheless, authorities plan to go considerably further in the labor market. A new Digital Employment Service will compare government-held information on an unemployed person’s occupation, qualifications, and skills with employers’ requirements. The Labor Ministry describes the idea as moving towards a model in which “the person does not look for a job, but the job finds the person”. When a match is found, the citizen will receive an offer through eGov, the state employment portal Enbek.kz, or an SMS from the 1414 service number. The system will also be able to recommend training or retraining, or suggest relocation if a...

Artificial intelligence

From Walking Robots to AI Errors: A Kazakh Researcher’s Path to Intelligent Systems

What should a robot do after making a mistake? The answer becomes more complicated when the person nearby does not explicitly say something has gone wrong, but merely hesitates, looks confused, or begins to lose trust in the machine. This is one of the problems currently being studied by Kazakh researcher Arman Ibrayeva. Over several years, her scientific interests have developed from mechanics and walking robots to autonomous navigation, medical robotics, and human interaction with intelligent systems. In June 2026, Ibrayeva was among the authors of REPAIR-Bench, a new research benchmark for studying how people respond to robot errors and how interaction can be restored after a failure. The researchers conducted 214 interaction trials involving 41 participants, recording speech, facial expressions, head movements, and users’ preferred responses to different robot failures. The task goes beyond simply detecting a failure. A robot working alongside people needs to understand how its mistake has changed a person’s behavior. One user may become irritated, another confused, while a third may try to repeat the action. The robot’s response should depend on that reaction. For Ibrayeva, this is a continuation of a scientific career that began not with generative AI, but with mechanics. She studied mechanics at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, receiving her bachelor’s degree in 2018 and master’s degree in 2020. She then continued her studies at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, where she conducted research in mechanical engineering. Her official KAUST profile lists robotics, mechanical engineering, and machine learning among her research interests. One of the early areas of her work was walking machines. Ibrayeva studied how their design could be simplified and the number of actuators reduced without losing the required range of movement. Such an approach can reduce energy consumption and simplify robot control. At a robotics conference at KAUST in 2022, she presented a walking robot design with decoupled limb motion. Agriculture was cited as one possible application because heavy wheeled machinery compacts soil and can damage plants. The walking mechanism was designed to move over uneven terrain while placing less load on its actuators. This work later developed into research combining classical mechanics, numerical optimization, and machine learning. A 2025 paper co-authored by Ibrayeva describes several physical prototypes of walking robots, tests on uneven surfaces, and the use of LiDAR for autonomous navigation. Another area was medical robotics. Ibrayeva took part in research on a lower-limb exoskeleton. The authors sought a design capable of reproducing the movements of the human leg with less mechanical complexity and more efficient force transmission. She also worked on autonomous navigation for service robots in rehabilitation medicine. A 2024 study examined a system using 3D LiDAR that allows a robot to map its surroundings, determine its position, and avoid obstacles while moving through a medical facility. At first glance, a walking machine for agriculture, a rehabilitation exoskeleton, and a robot interacting with a person belong to different fields. Yet all these projects involve the same practical problem: a...

Space Technology

Uzbekistan’s AI Module Reaches Orbit Aboard Samarqand-2028 Satellite

A Chinese-built Earth observation satellite carrying artificial intelligence developed by Uzbek specialists was launched from a sea platform off China’s Shandong province on August 5. The Samarqand-2028 satellite was launched alongside Lampung-1, another Earth observation satellite from China’s STAR.VISION Aerospace. A livestream showed the rocket lifting off from the platform. STAR.VISION developed Samarqand-2028, while specialists from Uzbekistan’s national space agency, Uzbekcosmos, created its onboard AI module. Uzbekcosmos said this was the first time Uzbek specialists had participated in developing artificial intelligence for a satellite. Samarqand-2028 carries a hyperspectral sensor that records reflected light in 22 wavelength bands. A conventional color image records visible light in only three broad bands, while the additional bands can reveal details difficult to see with the human eye. Uzbekcosmos plans to use the images to create national maps of cotton and wheat cultivation and make initial assessments of air quality. As The Times of Central Asia reported on August 4, processing images onboard the satellite could reduce the amount of data transmitted to Earth and allow useful information to reach officials more quickly. Samarqand-2028 is separate from Uzbekistan’s first national scientific satellite, Mirzo Ulugbek. Seven Uzbek engineers studying at Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan have begun developing the 6U satellite, which is scheduled for launch in 2028. The program is intended to train specialists and establish a domestic satellite engineering team. The next stage will be commissioning Samarqand-2028 and testing whether its AI module functions as intended in orbit. Its practical value will depend on whether Uzbek institutions can convert the imagery into useful information for agriculture and environmental monitoring.