Artificial intelligence - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 52

Investments Economy Strategy Social GDP Artificial intelligence

Tajikistan Aims to Employ AI to Achieve 5% of GDP by 2040

As previously reported by TCA, Tajikistan is the only Central Asian country with a national strategy for the development of AI. In 2022, President Emomali Rahmon signed off a national strategy to achieve 5% of the GDP from developing artificial intelligence by 2040. On August 1, the Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan, Sherali Kabir, announced at a press conference that work had begun in securing the first patent for the artificial intelligence algorithm 'zGAN' , developed by the local research laboratory of Tajikistan, and stated: “At a time when two-thirds of the world’s countries have yet to develop their national AI strategies, these steps highlight Tajikistan’s ambition to take a key position in technology and innovation." Referencing Tajikistan's progress in the field, Azizjon Azimi, chairman of the Council on AI under the Ministry of Industry, said more than 300 experts had been trained in artificial intelligence and its applications in the economy were expanding. "The leading case is using 'zGAN' algorithms for credit scoring. More than 30 banks in over ten countries have already implemented this algorithm by the Tajik fintech zypl.ai, which automatically issued loans worth over $200 million. To date, zypl.ai has attracted more than $3 million in private direct investment in the development of AI in Tajikistan." Azimi emphasized that in addition to the impact of 'zGAN' in the economic sphere, plans are in place for its application in agriculture, industry, and healthcare. He also reiterated that an agreement had been signed to develop AI programs for the Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah based on Tajikistan's national AI development strategy.

Strategy Central Asia Security Economy Social Government Artificial intelligence

Responsible AI Rankings: Uzbekistan Leads in Central Asia

The Global Center on AI Governance has published a report titled “Results of the Global Index on Responsible AI in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.” Among Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan has been judged to use artificial intelligence in the most responsible way. Recent AI initiatives in Uzbekistan cover fields including cultural and linguistic diversity, international cooperation, public sector skills development, and transparency. Kazakhstan ranks second in the region. Among Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan ranks first for the number of government initiatives related to responsible AI. Kyrgyzstan ranks third in the region, demonstrating significant non-governmental sector participation in responsible AI. However, the need for a comprehensive government system affects its overall outcome. The report states that the country has received a high rating for responsible AI governance, second only to Uzbekistan in the region. However, due to the scarcity of government frameworks, which, along with government initiatives, had the most weight in the index score, Kyrgyzstan scored lower in the Responsible AI Index. Tajikistan is the only Central Asian country with an AI national strategy aimed at development until 2040. It ranks fourth in the region. However, this strategy covers only 5 out of 19 thematic directions. Tajikistan's scores are relatively high regarding responsible AI governance; however, the country has the most passive non-state sector among the pillars assessed. Turkmenistan has the lowest indicator in the region. Government structures related to the responsible use of artificial intelligence have not been identified in the country.

Education Turkmenistan Ashgabat OSCE Artificial intelligence

Ashgabat Hosts Seminar on Artificial Intelligence

The capital of Turkmenistan is hosting a two-day seminar , organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, on "Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on Freedom of Speech." During the event, international participants, including specialists from Austria and Bulgaria, will analyse the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on freedom of speech and the role of the media in today's world through various workshops focusing on: the role of artificial intelligence in shaping public opinion and disseminating information; the risks and opportunities associated with the application of AI in the media; how to ensure freedom of speech in the context of AI development; and how to combat misinformation and manipulation in the age of artificial intelligence. Opening the seminar, William Leaf, Representative of the OSCE Centre in Turkmenistan, emphasized the importance of freedom of speech and media as integral elements of a democratic society. Noting Turkmenistan's growing interest in developing artificial intelligence, he welcomed the seminar as an important step in understanding its potential and possible challenges. Within the context of an exchange of views and the development of recommendations on the use of artificial intelligence in the media, the event provides a platform for discussions on how such issues affect the principles of freedom of speech and human rights and as such, relates to the OSCE Centre's ongoing assistance in implementing the National Human Rights Action Plan 2021-2025 (NHRAP) provisions on media freedom and freedom of expression.

Legislation Artificial intelligence

Kazakhstan Wants to Use AI in Drafting Laws

Kazakhstan is considering introducing artificial intelligence technologies in its legislation development and law analysis. This was recently announced at an international conference on AI and law, Elblog.pl reports. AI is expected to change the game in legislative efforts, helping in both its organizational and technical aspects. One of its most practical benefits is converting the words spoken by lawmakers into text. More sophisticated uses include drafting legislation and analyzing the impact on proposed laws without human bias. Kanatbek Safinov, director of the Institute of Parliamentarism of Kazakhstan, noted that AI tools could better allocate significant resources currently spent on the legislative process, such as drafting expert assessments. "The main task is to create artificial intelligence tools that would make it possible to assess the potential effectiveness of new legislation, thus freeing lawmakers from the hard work of formulating legal texts. This reorientation will allow them to focus on identifying and solving problems of concern to the public," Safinov believes. In his opinion, the European Parliament, especially its Greek division, is an ideal role model. The latter uses more than 200 AI tools, 33 of which are directly involved in the lawmaking process.

Artificial intelligence

AI Takes Hold in Kazakhstan’s Finance Industry

The National Bank of Kazakhstan has conducted a survey on the prospects for developing artificial intelligence (AI) in the country. The results of this survey showed that 31% of respondents who work in the finance industry are already using AI in their work. Analysts from the National Bank concluded that AI technologies are gaining popularity in Kazakhstan, with domestic banks becoming leaders in implementing AI in business processes. Among the most popular AI technologies in the Kazakhstani financial market are machine learning and computer vision -- as well as large language models (LLMs) and natural language processing. This indicates a wide range of innovative technologies are being applied to various financial activities. However, besides the sheer potential of the technologies, major barriers to further development of AI in the country have also been identified. These include lack of infrastructure and computing power, lack of security standards for AI products, difficulties in accessing data, and unreliable internet connections. The lack of an active national research and development (R&D) institute and low demand for AI products among potential customers were also cited.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence in Central Asia: Applications and Regulation

The debate on the need for worldwide regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining momentum, given that over the past year AI has become a key tool for millions of people. With a growing number of organizations applying AI in various fields, including medicine, politics and judicial decisions, the urgent question is how to integrate AI into legislation. In Central Asia, in 2020 the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan authorized remote identification of individuals at banks using AI, machine learning and other predictive algorithms to process customer biometric data. Bishkek also introduced a facial recognition system based on artificial intelligence which allows data about wanted persons to be entered, and cameras to automatically identify them and transmit information to law enforcement. Artificial intelligence has also found its application in the political process. In 2020, the Mekenim Kyrgyzstan Party used a digital bot farm during the elections which generated approximately 150 profiles a day, automatically wrote comments and then self-liquidated. In Tajikistan, where the use of AI is not widespread, MegaFon stands out for its introduction of the Dono chatbot in 2019. This artificial interlocutor interacts with around 14,000 subscribers per day, freeing humans from routine tasks and allowing them to deal with more complex issues. In Uzbekistan, meanwhile, the government is taking active measures to stimulate the development of AI technologies. A presidential decree has established comprehensive steps towards the digitization of the economy and the social sphere. Digitization of government data in various sectors, such as justice, communications, finance, education and healthcare are becoming an integral part of the development strategy. The application of AI technologies, starting with image recognition and navigation systems, has already become a tangible part of task-solving in large enterprises, and the country is actively working to create an enabling environment to further expand the use of AI. In Kazakhstan, AI is being actively introduced in the judicial system, and over the past two years AI systems have been used to analyze court cases and predict their outcomes. The authorities believe that this approach helps minimize errors and improves the quality of justice. In the field of healthcare, since 2022 Kazakhstan has been successfully operating the PneumoNet program based on artificial intelligence. This program makes it possible to detect 17 of the most pathogenic lung diseases, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, and cancer. Currently, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan do not have specific laws regulating the creation and use of AI. Despite this, the Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Republic of Tajikistan until 2040 notes that during the implementation of the first and second stages of said strategy, legal, institutional and infrastructural frameworks will be developed, and the necessary specialists will be trained. Unlike its neighbors, Uzbekistan adopted a presidential decree "On measures to create conditions for the accelerated introduction of artificial intelligence technologies" as early as 2021. This document has become the legal foundation for the further development of AI in the country, defining its main directions. The resolution emphasizes the need to develop...