AI implementation in Kazakhstan’s regions
Алима Муслиманова Журналист El.kz
In 2026, Kazakhstan is trying to shift its perspective toward a managed, standardized rollout of artificial intelligence in the regions. Where the government is outlining a transition to a Smart Regionmodel with a unified standard, shared metrics, and common solutions for regions and districts. El.kz reports.
A major shift: from showcase pilots to a regional model
The regional level becomes the key priority in 2026. A single national standard for the development of “smart” regions has been established, covering 16 areas, so that akimats operate within a unified framework of comparable indicators and practices.
At the level of public administration, this means a shift from fragmented services to end-to-end processes: AI-powered call centers, intelligent assistants, automated processing of citizen requests, and analytics to support management decisions. For citizens, this translates into fewer visits between agencies and more services where the system itself guides an application through to completion.
Infrastructure: A unified platform and a data system
The key institutional step highlighted by the Ministry of AI is the phased migration of government information systems to the QazTech platform. Within the regional framework, priority is given to areas where the impact is immediately visible: public services and the processing of citizen appeals, contact centers and digital assistants, social services, digital tools for businesses, as well as cybersecurity and data analytics tasks.
A separate and particularly important focus for the regions is language adaptation - the development of AI solutions in the Kazakh language for government and service use cases.
Human capital as the key factor
Even the strongest infrastructure cannot function without people who know how to integrate technology into real processes. That is why the state is expanding training tracks for civil servants, educators, students, and professionals. In this logic, regional IT hubs are becoming not “showcases,” but operational centers for training and project support.
Strengths and risks
The strength of the current model lies in its systemic nature: standards, a unified platform, human capital programs, and a regulatory framework are all in place. The main risk is financing: in 2026, there is no separate budget line specifically for AI, meaning that some initiatives will depend on competition within broader digital development programs.
If, in practice, the three elements - unified standards, stable funding, and workforce training can be aligned, AI will become not a formal item in a strategy document, but a working tool for everyday services in every region.
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