The Minister of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry, Zhaslan Madiyev, showcased the concept of the International Artificial Intelligence Center alem.ai, as reported by Kazpravda.kz citing the press service of the ministry.
The goal – to transform Kazakhstan into an AI-oriented state, fostering innovation and the development of AI technologies across all aspects of public and economic life in the country.
“The alem.ai center aims to advance technologies in key sectors such as science, industry, creative industries, and public services. It will also contribute to the creation of an AI ecosystem to attract investments and support startups. Its establishment will enable the export of Kazakhstani AI solutions to reach 5 billion USD by 2029, drive a new wave of technological and economic growth through the development of AI, and position Astana as a leading hub for AI technologies in Central Asia,” the press release states.
As part of the project, it is planned to attract around 10,000 talents annually from various fields, train at least 1,000 AI specialists, launch about 100 AI startups, and conduct approximately 10 research studies in the field of AI.
The first floor will feature a public space for forums and public lectures on achievements in AI to facilitate knowledge exchange among developers, students, scientists, and experts from various fields, as well as an AI museum.
Job fairs in the AI sector will also be held here, where companies can present their job offers, alongside regular hackathons and startup competitions to attract investors and partners for further development.
The 2nd and 3rd floors are designated for the TUMO School. This school is aimed at students in grades 9–12, and over 42,000 students in Astana can potentially participate in programs related to programming, robotics, and other creative technologies to foster innovative thinking and prepare for successful careers in the IT field.
The second floor includes training and study rooms designed for 206 seats, while the third floor adds another 348 seats.
The building will also feature areas for group activities, conference rooms, and laboratories for implementing practical projects.
On the 4th and 5th floors, students of the Tomorrow School will be educated. Tomorrow School is the first peer-to-peer school of artificial intelligence in Kazakhstan, launched by the Astana Hub technopark in October 2024. It operates exclusively on the 01 Edu platform and offers a unique opportunity for free education in AI, without requiring prior programming skills.
More than 5,000 applications were submitted for the first and second cohorts of Tomorrow School. In the first cohort, 120 individuals successfully entered the “pool,” and only 30% of them were able to pass the selection for the main training in the school. Currently, 190 students are enrolled in the second pool.
As part of the center, plans are in place to train even more students in AI skills.
It is worth noting that recently, the head of state presented domestic developments, and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his vision for the development of AI in Kazakhstan.