Kazakhstan is in discussions with international IT companies, including Telegram, TON, Tether, Google, and EPAM, to establish offices in Astana. The companies are expected to engage in research and development projects as well as new product development, according to Akorda.

These offices may be situated in the AlemAI International Artificial Intelligence Center, set to open within the Nur Alem sphere, the former EXPO-2017 pavilion.

The center’s concept was presented to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who emphasized its role in advancing Kazakhstan’s digital transformation. Minister of Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev announced that AlemAI would host Tomorrow School and Tumo Education, providing programming and robotics training to over 1,000 schoolchildren annually. Additionally, the center aims to train 1,000 specialists each year and serve as a campus for startup acceleration and IT research projects.

Several Kazakhstani startups were highlighted during the presentation:

• Cybernetai: Specializing in voice robots for client interactions.
• ArlanBiotech: Focusing on immunotherapy and diagnostics.
• Higgsfield AI: Developing advanced systems for training computer models.

Domestic advancements in AI, such as a digital twin of oil fields, drone control systems, and a robot dog for industrial applications, were also showcased.

President Tokayev stated that AlemAI should become a hub for AI research and a symbol of the country’s technological progress. He noted its role in fostering innovation, attracting international partners, and advancing solutions in key sectors like education and the economy.

To further support AI development, Tokayev instructed the creation of a Council for the Development of Artificial Intelligence with participation from global experts. He also directed the government to work on attracting large companies to build data centers in Kazakhstan.

One notable achievement highlighted during the presentation was the development of the KazLLM national language model. This AI system enables understanding, analysis, and communication in Kazakh, expanding the language’s presence in the digital sphere.

The president also announced plans to implement the AI-Sana program, aimed at training specialists in artificial intelligence to meet the growing demand in this field.