Kazakhstan's readiness to introduce AI into economic structures is assessed as high – Zhaslan Madiyev
At the Government session of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov the Concept of development of artificial intelligence was considered. The Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan Zhaslan Madiyev reported on the implementation of projects in the industry.
The readiness of the state to use AI is determined by the methodology “Government AI Readiness Index”, developed by the British research company Oxford Insights.
“Kazakhstan, according to this methodology, has high capabilities in such indicators as “digital capacity” - 76% and “data availability” - 74%. At the same time, work is underway to build competencies on the indicator “vision”, related to the presence or absence of country strategic documents in the field of AI,” the Minister said.
The goal of the Concept being developed is to create an AI ecosystem, widespread introduction of the technology in economic sectors and public administration.
To achieve these goals, the Concept implements the following 6 directions:
- data
- infrastructure
- human capital
- scientific research
- regulatory environment
- acceleration programs.
Data is one of the key and fundamental elements of artificial intelligence development. NIT JSC is working in this direction. The data of state bodies is collected in the Smart Data Ukimet system.
93 databases are connected to the SDU, including government agencies, quasi-public sector, private enterprises, second-tier banks, universities and research centers, which are updated on a continuous basis.
As part of the Infrastructure development, it is envisaged to locate a supercomputer in Kazakhstan, build data processing centers in partnership with advanced international companies and organizations, create a national AI platform and develop fiber-optic communication systems.
Negotiations with international technology companies for the construction of a data processing center are actively underway. The national AI platform will include necessary resources such as datasets, computing power and other AI tools. The presented resources will be available to government agencies, startups, universities and AI-enthusiasts.
As part of human capital development, a comprehensive innovation infrastructure is being developed for the development of the AI ecosystem.
The Alem.AI National Center on the basis of the Nur-Alem Museum will become a platform for cooperation between the state, science, business and international partners.
At the same time, it is planned to launch programming schools across the country with a peer-to-peer methodology based on hands-on learning through the implementation of projects without the participation of teachers. This promotes student interaction and a research approach.
International collaborations with cutting-edge research centers, including the University of California, Berkeley, are being actively developed.
“A program is being worked out for mass dissemination of AI in various spheres of citizens' life. It is planned that annually we will train 10 thousand talents, 1 thousand AI specialists, 100 AI startups and 10 scientific projects. The target indicator will be an increase in the share of universities teaching AI from 20% in 2025 to 60% in 2029,” he said.
It is expected that the implementation of the above plans and further widespread introduction of AI products in sectors of the economy will make a significant contribution to GDP growth, the minister summarized.
The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace has set the following targets till 2029:
- training 5 million people in AI skills
- training of 500 thousand industry specialists
- creation of 5 Kazakhstani unicorns
- increasing IT exports to $5bn
- at least 25 realised AI products in economic sectors annually.
Source: Official Information Source of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan
