Kazakhstan becomes founding member of the World AI Cooperation Organization

The Republic of Kazakhstan has become one of the founding members of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), El.kz reports.

The announcement was made by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The founding agreement was signed by representatives of 29 countries.

The newly established organization, officially named the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), will be headquartered in Shanghai.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC)and the High-level Meeting on Global AI Governance. According to Reuters and CGTN, WAICO is being established as an intergovernmental organization to promote international cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence.

The signing ceremony was attended by Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was also present at the ceremony.

China, Laos, Pakistan, Indonesia, and several other countries also joined as founding members.

WAICO will operate in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The Organization’s stated mission is to strengthen international cooperation in artificial intelligence, facilitate dialogue on global AI governance, and help reduce the digital divide.

Zhaslan Madiyev stated that Kazakhstan’s participation in WAICO is of strategic importance. According to him, countries are now competing not only in technological innovation but also for talent, computing capacity, data resources, and the opportunity to contribute to the development of international norms and standards for AI governance.

The Ministry noted that Kazakhstan’s accession to the new organization is aligned with the country’s efforts to advance its national AI ecosystem. Kazakhstan has adopted a dedicated Law on Artificial Intelligence, established the Presidential Council on Artificial Intelligence, and continues to develop the international Alem.AI center.

The establishment of WAICO was initiated by the People’s Republic of China. Chinese authorities have stated that the Organization is intended to promote the safe, ethical, and equitable development and application of artificial intelligence.