New tools for the development of artificial intelligence and the digital economy were presented at Astana hub. Kazakhstan aims not just to implement technologies, but to form a full-fledged national AI ecosystem from education and science to business and public administration.

Today, digital transformation and AI development are becoming key pillars of the country's economic policy. The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, noted that artificial intelligence should become the foundation of a new technological economy and work primarily to improve people's quality of life.

“Alem.ai will become a global hub where artificial intelligence technologies will be implemented effectively and responsibly,” the Head of State declared during the center’s launch.

A new technological ecosystem

The central element of this strategy is the Alem.ai International Artificial Intelligence Center. This is a multifunctional platform that brings together education, a startup ecosystem, research laboratories, and international partnerships. The center is designed to be a point of attraction for developers, investors, and researchers from across the region.

According to government estimates, creating such infrastructure will allow Kazakhstan to significantly increase its export of technological solutions. It is expected that by the end of the decade, exports of AI-based products could reach billions of dollars.

The center also houses educational programs, startup accelerators, and research labs. For example, international laboratories of major tech companies are being launched here focusing on AI projects, big data analysis, and the development of large language models (LLMs).

Training specialists

One of the key directions for AI development in Kazakhstan is workforce training. The country is launching large-scale educational programs designed for schoolchildren, students, professionals, and civil servants.

Kazakhstan has already begun massive training for the AI economy. According to the relevant ministry, about one million residents have already gained AI-related skills. However, this is only the first stage: by 2029, authorities intend to train up to five million people so that AI technologies become a daily tool for business, public service, and education.

At the Alem.ai center, educational spaces are being created for teenagers where they can study programming, generative AI, game development, animation, and robotics. Additionally, the ecosystem includes the Tomorrow Schoolprogramming school, where learning is based on a practical model through real-world projects and teamwork. In this way, the state is addressing one of the tech industry's main challenges: the shortage of qualified developers.

Platforms for creating AI startups

The event also showcased new tools for developers and entrepreneurs. One of them is the Alem Plusplatform, which integrates key technologies for AI product development:

• AI models
• Speech and text processing tools
• Image generation
• Cloud computing
• Development and code storage environments

According to the developers, the idea behind the platform is simple: to allow a person with an idea to create a technological product even without a large team of engineers.

“Our goal is to create services so that any person, with nothing but a browser, can start creating AI solutions,” noted Ilyas Makash, Advisor on Artificial Intelligence, during the presentation.

Special attention is given to low-code and no-code tools, which allow for the creation of digital services even without deep programming knowledge. Currently, the platform is available to members of the Astana Hub ecosystem - students of educational programs, startups, and tech companies.

Startups and Business

Another vital element of the strategy is the development of technological entrepreneurship. The Astana Hub International Innovation Cluster now unites over 2,000 participants: startups, tech companies, and research centers. They are creating solutions for medicine, agriculture, transport, urban infrastructure, and the financial sector.

To support entrepreneurs, accelerators like AI’preneurs are being launched, where teams can develop their own AI-based products and secure investment.

Furthermore, the state is gradually opening up access to government projects for IT companies. During the meeting, representatives from digital departments announced that certain restrictions for participating in tenders and developing state information systems are being removed for members of the tech ecosystem. This means startups will be able to create digital solutions for government services from data analytics to the automation of public services.

Transparent Government: Open Data and Digital Systems

Another direction is the digitalization of public administration. E-government architectural portals are being opened to IT companies, where they can see:

• Which information systems already exist within government agencies;
• What data has been digitized;
• Which systems are outdated;
• What digital solutions are planned for the future.

The goal of this initiative is to make the interaction between the state and the tech business more transparent. IT companies can understand in advance what systems the state requires and offer their own solutions.

What This Means for People

Although talk of artificial intelligence often seems far removed from daily life, most of these initiatives are directly linked to improving the quality of government services and economic opportunities.

AI is already being used in medicine, agriculture, transport, and urban infrastructure. Kazakhstani startups are creating disease diagnostic systems, precision farming services, and analytical platforms for city management.

For citizens, this means:

• Faster government services;
• New opportunities for learning and careers;
• The emergence of new technological professions;
• A growth in digital services in healthcare, education, and transport.

The development of the AI industry also creates new labor markets. The state expects to attract thousands of AI specialists annually.

The Economy of the Next Decade

The development of artificial intelligence is not just a technological trend. For Kazakhstan, it is an attempt to change the structure of the economy.

For decades, the country’s economic growth has largely relied on the commodities sector. However, the new global economy is increasingly built on knowledge, data, and technology. Nations that manage to integrate into this process gain the chance for a qualitative leap in development.

Today, there is a global race for AI leadership. The US, China, European countries, and the Middle East are investing billions of dollars in infrastructure, research, and education.

Kazakhstan is choosing its own strategy forming an ecosystem where education, the state, and business function as a single technological platform. If this model proves sustainable, the country can transition from a consumer of technology to a developer and exporter. This means not just new companies and startups, but a different economic structure one where value is created by knowledge, algorithms, and data.

That is why today’s investments in AI are not just investments in technology, but investments in the economy of the next decade. The question is no longer whether AI will change Kazakhstan’s economy. The question is how quickly the country can secure its place in this new digital reality.