Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have become one of the most significant driving forces behind global social, economic, and political transformations since the early 2020s. Following the rapid advancement of AI after 2022, the Central Asian states have not remained distant from this transformation; on the contrary, they have made digital development a strategic priority at the regional level. By 2025, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan have been strengthening their digital infrastructures and building a unified AI ecosystem based on regional cooperation. These efforts are turning Central Asia into an attractive center not only in terms of energy and natural resources but also in terms of the knowledge and innovation economy.
Kazakhstan has concretized its digitalization vision with the goal of achieving $1 billion in Information Technology exports by 2025. During the closing ceremony of a technology forum held in Astana in September 2025, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasized the government’s commitment to investments in AI and digital infrastructure, underscoring the importance of this vision. The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development aims to create regulatory coherence within the sector by centralizing policy-making processes. Through the incentive programs implemented in 2024 and 2025, the government provides entrepreneurs with access to international markets and attracts investment to research centers. As of 2025, Kazakhstan ranks 24th globally in e-government and 10th in online public services, demonstrating its success in digitalization with concrete results.[i]
Since 2023, Uzbekistan has shaped its digital transformation around a human-centered philosophy. The “ICT Week 2025” event, held in Tashkent from September 26–30, 2025, showcased the country’s AI vision to the international community. Announced under the motto “Artificial Intelligence for Human Dignity and Opportunity,” this strategy positions technology not merely as an economic tool but as a value that enhances social well-being. Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov defined this goal as “transforming technology into a system that serves people.”
As of 2024, more than 100 AI applications have been actively implemented in Uzbekistan across sectors such as education, healthcare, banking, customs, and industry. In addition, the international infrastructure company DataVolt launched a data center project in 2024, scheduled for completion in 2026. This facility is expected to become one of the most advanced data centers in Central Asia. Moreover, the startup Uzum reached a valuation of €1.38 billion in 2025, becoming the first company in the region to achieve this milestone—demonstrating that the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem has also begun to attract global investors.[ii]
At the regional level, cooperation was emphasized in a broader and more significant way during the Digital Bridge 2025 forum held in Astana on October 3, 2025.[iii] Numerous experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan highlighted the importance of establishing a cross-border AI entrepreneurship ecosystem. Within the framework of regional partnership discussions, participants underlined the necessity of adopting a mindset that goes beyond national boundaries in order to enhance Central Asia’s competitiveness. The region’s rapidly growing human capital, robust infrastructure, and expanding digital capacity form the core foundations of this vision. Experts stressed the need to create joint investment funds, integrate entrepreneurship ecosystems, and facilitate the expansion of startups across the region. They also projected that closer cooperation in the areas of entrepreneurship, capital, and research and development would further accelerate technological progress.
Central Asia’s advancement in the field of AI is not limited to economic indicators; it also entails a socio-cultural transformation. The region’s young and dynamic population represents one of its greatest advantages. As of 2025, Uzbekistan continues to record a high birth rate, and this growing youth population is being transformed into the technological workforce of the future through digital literacy programs. The inclusion of courses such as AI ethics in the curricula of most universities demonstrates the region’s ambition not only to produce technology but also to promote responsible and conscious use of it. Moreover, in 2024 and 2025, Information Technology exports exceeded €400 million in Kazakhstan and €850 million in Uzbekistan, indicating that the digital economy is playing an increasingly significant role in the region’s overall economic structure.[iv]
In addition to all these developments, the AI-driven transformation observed in Central Asia between 2022 and 2025 has created a positive development model that is shaping the region’s future. Kazakhstan’s strong infrastructure and policy capacity, Uzbekistan’s human-centered digitalization vision, and the harmonious progress of joint regional initiatives are making Central Asia increasingly visible on the global technology map. The most striking aspect of this stage is that technological progress reinforces not only economic growth but also a sense of cultural and social unity. Central Asia is no longer merely a geographical bridge between Europe and Asia; it has become a strategic hub of the new digital era.
[i] “Kazakhstan unveils plan to become Central Asia’s tech powerhouse”, Tv Brics,
https://tvbrics.com/en/news/kazakhstan-unveils-plan-to-become-central-asia-s-tech-powerhouse/, (Access Date: 07.10.2025).
[ii] “Uzbekistan’s ICT Week 2025: How Central Asia is becoming a global AI and tech hub”, Euro News, https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/09/26/uzbekistans-ict-week-2025-how-central-asia-is-becoming-a-global-ai-and-tech-hub, (Access Date: 07.10.2025).
[iii] “Central Asian experts call for unified AI startup ecosystem”, Kazinform, https://qazinform.com/news/central-asian-experts-call-for-unified-ai-startup-ecosystem-93f1f3, (Access Date: 07.10.2025).
[iv] Ibıd.
