Kazakhstan aims to build an AI-powered economy and manufacturing sector

Kazakhstan is aiming to transition from a traditional economy to one driven by artificial intelligence, focusing on modernizing its manufacturing sector and moving up the global value chain. During the AI & Digital Bridge forum in Astana, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that the value of AI lies in augmenting human capabilities and improving production efficiency.

Experts at the forum, including Lee Kai-fu of 01. AI, noted that a true AI economy requires the technology to become a fundamental tool for livelihoods and government decision-making rather than just a novelty like chatbots.

Digital Development Minister Zhaslan Madiyev stated that the country is working to develop all five layers of the AI economy, including energy infrastructure, chips, cloud platforms, language models, and applications. Kazakhstan's IT sector is already showing international growth, with IT service exports exceeding €860 million last year and digital solutions being utilized in over 100 countries.