BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 5. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev places particular emphasis on the development of artificial intelligence and digital technologies. In this context, he declared 2026 the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, while a dedicated Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development was established in 2025. The AI & Digital Bridge 2026 international forum, held in Astana from October 1 to 3, emerged as one of the major events of the year in this field.
According to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, more than 60 new contracts were signed during the forum. Although many of these remain memorandums of intent, they nevertheless indicate the key directions in which the government seeks to advance Kazakhstan’s digital sector.
A memorandum on cooperation in the development of the digital assets market and the application of blockchain technologies in Kazakhstan was signed between the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan and Kraken. KASE and the administration of Alatau City reached an agreement on cooperation in the field of digital financial assets. Astana Hub and Uzbekistan’s IT Park signed a memorandum aimed at facilitating the entry of startups from the two countries into international markets. The Ministry of Energy signed three documents with Chinese partners covering joint developments in energy, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. In addition, an agreement was reached with the GSMA association to hold the M360 Eurasia forum in Astana in autumn 2027.
At the opening of the forum, Tokayev proposed compiling a list of industrial challenges for AI based on the actual needs of the economy and launching an AI Challenge for Kazakh and international teams on this basis. He also cautioned that excessive regulation could encourage promising teams and capital to move to other jurisdictions.
The following day, during a meeting of the Council for the Development of Artificial Intelligence, the president set the task of moving from individual digital solutions to the systematic use of AI in industry. He referred to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization's 2026 report: over five years, the share of patents related to AI has increased approximately threefold, while competition is also taking place over the pace of improving production efficiency.
Such an approach also requires appropriate infrastructure. If AI is to be used in enterprises, energy, and transport, Kazakhstan needs its own large-scale computing capacity. For this purpose, the "Data Center Valley" is being created in Ekibastuz - the largest data center in Central Asia, with capacity expected to reach 1 GW in the long term.
The first stage of the project is estimated at $5 billion, of which $1 billion will be invested by Kazakhtelecom. At this stage, around 100,000 next-generation GPUs are planned to be deployed. The main buildings and energy infrastructure are expected to be completed by the end of December 2026.
Kazakhstan is effectively using its advantages - access to energy, a large territory, and its location between major markets. The country does not produce advanced chips itself, but is focusing on creating infrastructure for their use.
Ekibastuz, one of the country's largest coal and energy centers, was selected for the project based on its available energy base.
The authorities estimate the project's potential export revenue at $3 billion per year. However, actual figures will depend on demand for computing capacity, which may change along with the global technology market.
To attract foreign clients, Astana is also working on the legal framework. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev said the government is developing a "data embassies" regime under which major technology companies will be able to operate under a separate international legal framework. Under the concept, foreign states will be able to store data in Kazakhstan while retaining full legal sovereignty over it.
Kazakhstan's task is not only to create large data centers, but also to generate demand for their capacity. If the country can attract foreign clients while ensuring broad use of AI across the domestic economy, Kazakhstan's energy and infrastructure advantages could provide a basis for developing a new area of digital services.
This was also discussed at AI & Digital Bridge 2026. The forum presented projects in energy, industry, transport and finance where AI is already planned for practical use. Kazakhstan now needs to bring these projects to implementation and ensure real demand for them. This would allow the infrastructure being created to support not only the development of the digital sector, but also the economy as a whole.
