While many nations continue to debate the pace and direction of AI adoption, Kazakhstan has moved from strategy to implementation. High-performance computing infrastructure is being deployed to support public services and economic development, artificial intelligence is being integrated into government service delivery, and the country’s technological transformation is attracting growing international attention. The Year of Artificial Intelligence, declared by the Head of State, has already demonstrated that Kazakhstan’s vision of becoming a digitally enabled nation is translating into tangible results.
Infrastructure and computing capacity
Alem.Cloud supercomputer, commissioned in July 2025 and currently ranked 86th in the global TOP500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers. The system is hosted in a Tier III-certifieddata center in Astana and is equipped with advanced computing hardware, including NVIDIA H200 GPUs as well as specialized TPU and Habana AI accelerators.
In May 2026, during the GITEX AI Kazakhstan forum, a memorandum of understanding was signed to establish the Kazakhstan Data Center Valley, a regional AI and digital infrastructure hub near Ekibastuz. The project is designed as Central Asia’s largest data center campus with a planned capacity of up to 1 gigawatt.
Legislative framework and public administration
The institutional foundations of Kazakhstan’s AI policy were established in 2025 through the creation of a dedicated Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, the adoption of the region’s first comprehensive legislation governing artificial intelligence, and the establishment of the Presidential Council on Artificial Intelligence.
According to ministry officials, these reforms have positioned Kazakhstan among the world’s top 25 countries in the development of e-government.
On 7 July 2026, the country launched a pilot project enabling the delivery of public services through the Alem GPT AI agent. Pursuant to the ministry’s order of 17 June 2026, citizens can now access selected public services via text or voice interactions. The system is capable of interpreting the context of user requests and interacting directly with government information systems to facilitate service delivery.
Mobile platforms have become the primary channel for accessing public services in Kazakhstan. Since January 2026, citizens have received more than 51.5 million public services remotely, with nearly half of all transactions completed through the eGov Mobile application.
Economy and business
Astana Hub continues to expand its network of innovation hubs both domestically and internationally to facilitate the global expansion of Kazakhstani technology startups.
At the same time, the Qazaqstan Venture Group plans to channel up to 1 bln dollars in venture capital investment into projects focused on artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing technologies.
Kazakhstan has also gained international recognition through Higgsfield AI, a startup founded by young Kazakh entrepreneurs that has successfully entered the global AI market.
To further strengthen the country’s AI ecosystem, the Government has exempted imports of specialized equipment for AI computing clusters from value-added tax (VAT) and customs duties, a measure intended to accelerate the expansion of high-performance computing capacity across the private sector.
The road ahead
During the second half of the Year of Artificial Intelligence, Kazakhstan plans to transition from a collection of individual Smart City initiatives to a unified Smart Region model based on common standards covering 16 priority areas and 90 performance indicators.
The Government also intends to shift its focus from developing general-purpose conversational AI systems toward creating sector-specific large language models tailored to industries such as energy, mining, and agriculture.
Another strategic priority is education. Preparations are underway for the establishment of a specialized AI university and the launch of the national AI-Sana programme, which is expected to cover both school education and vocational training.
While these initiatives remain at the implementation planning stage, the second half of the Year of Artificial Intelligence will demonstrate whether Kazakhstan can move beyond building digital infrastructure toward the widespread adoption and practical application of artificial intelligence across government, the economy, and society.
