Kazakhstan develops AI infrastructure and language models — Al Jazeera
Kazakhstan is stepping up the development of artificial intelligence, seeking to become a regional technology hub. At the end of 2025, the SKAI program became a voting member of the board of directors of the sovereign fund Samruk-Kazyna. It is the first artificial intelligence system on the board and is intended to promote more transparent management, Al Jazeera English reports.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared 2026 the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. In 2025, the country established the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and adopted an action plan through 2029. It provides for the development of AI literacy in schools and universities, as well as the digitalization of healthcare, public services, tax administration and the energy sector.
In 2025, Kazakhstan became the second jurisdiction after the European Union to adopt a law regulating artificial intelligence.
Education and startups in Astana
In Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, the Astana Hub innovation cluster teaches schoolchildren programming, generative AI, 3D animation and motion design. The Tomorrow School program trains specialists for the IT sector: fewer than 2% of candidates were selected from 25,000 applications. Over 18 months, the program trained 500 people, and new intakes are expected to open in 12 regions of the country.
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Astana Hub residents do not pay taxes, instead transferring 1% of their revenue to the hub's development. Over eight years of operation, the cluster helped develop Higgsfield, a Kazakh video-generation startup valued at more than $1 billion. By 2030, the hub expects to have five unicorn startups.
Kazakh-language models and risks
The Institute of Intelligent Systems and Artificial Intelligence at Nazarbayev University created the MagniSoz language model, which works with text and audio in 11 languages. Its updated version, Oylan, also works with images in English, Russian and Kazakh. The developers deployed the model on local servers and made it available to Kazakhstan's residents, including the government, emphasizing data protection and the reflection of local culture.
At the same time, Tlegen Kuandykikov, a representative of the CAPS Unlock analytical center, drew attention to the possible burden of large data centers on the energy system. According to him, Kazakhstan imports electricity during periods of peak demand, while a significant share of power plants and grids is outdated. He also noted that mechanisms for enforcing the new AI law remain unclear, while public oversight may be insufficient amid the rapid introduction of biometric identification and facial recognition.
