By Rafis Abazov

As the global race for digital supremacy accelerates, Kazakhstan is positioning itself not merely as a participant, but as a regional architect of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and foresight. Over the past decade, the Republic of Kazakhstan has methodically repositioned itself not just as a raw-material exporter in Central Asia but as a proactive knowledge and innovation actor. The recent launch of the AI Silknet initiative by the National Academy of Sciences marks a pivotal step in the country’s broader digital transformation strategy—one that seeks to fuse scientific modernization, regional leadership, and strategic foresight into a cohesive national vision. It may well mark its transition into a digital actor on a regional scale.

                                                                                Credit: Pexels

BACKGROUND: Kazakhstan’s digital transformation journey has been steadily gaining momentum over the past decade. From the “Digital Kazakhstan” program to the more recent “Digital Bridge” forums, the country has signaled its intent to become a regional hub for innovation and technology. The Government of Kazakhstan has invested over US$ 100 million into flagship AI-Sana (meaning “consciousness” or “intelligence” in Kazakh), a state-funded program launched to develop the country’s National AI Platform and position Kazakhstan as a regional leader in artificial intelligence.

In this context, the AI Silknet project, developed in partnership with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), represents a new step in this trajectory. AI Silknet is not merely a technological platform; it is a national knowledge infrastructure designed to consolidate scientific, technological, and socio-economic data into a unified digital ecosystem. Its core function is to provide predictive analytics and strategic foresight for decision-makers, researchers, and policymakers. By integrating machine learning algorithms with vast datasets, the system aims to anticipate trends, model development scenarios, and support evidence-based governance.

This initiative reflects a growing recognition within Kazakhstan’s leadership that digital transformation must be underpinned by robust institutional frameworks. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS), long a bastion of academic excellence, is now being retooled as a digital think tank, one capable of generating real-time insights and long-term strategies through AI-powered analysis.

The collaboration with South Korea’s KISTI illustrates Kazakhstan’s attempt to improve the management of the national economy and planning process. South Korea’s own transformation into a digital powerhouse offers a compelling model for Kazakhstan, particularly in the realm of AI-driven science and innovation policy. The AI Silknet project draws directly from KISTI’s experience with the NTIS (National Science & Technology Information Service), adapting its architecture to Kazakhstan’s unique developmental context.

This partnership is not merely technical, it is strategic. It signals Kazakhstan’s intent to align with leading digital economies while maintaining agency over its own data and development priorities. In doing so, Kazakhstan is crafting a hybrid model of digital modernization: one that leverages global expertise while reinforcing national sovereignty and regional relevance, improving efficiency of budget management and making its national economy more competitive.

IMPLICATIONS: The name of the initiative: AI Silknet, is no accident. It evokes the historical Silk Road, positioning Kazakhstan as a digital bridge between East and West. But unlike its ancient predecessor, this new Silk Road is not about the movement of goods; it is about the flow of data, knowledge, and innovation.

Kazakhstan’s leadership in AI infrastructure has significant implications for Central Asia. As the region grapples with uneven digital development, Kazakhstan’s model offers a scalable blueprint for integrating AI into national planning, education, and economic diversification. By opening AI Silknet to regional collaboration, Kazakhstan could catalyze a new era of scientific diplomacy and data-driven cooperation across borders.

Moreover, the initiative aligns with broader geopolitical trends. As global powers compete for influence in Eurasia’s digital space, Kazakhstan’s proactive stance allows it to shape—not merely respond to—the emerging rules of engagement. In this sense, AI Silknet is not just a tool of governance; it is a statement of intent.

At its core, AI Silknet is a foresight engine. It is designed to help Kazakhstan anticipate technological disruptions, model policy outcomes, and align national priorities with global trends. This is particularly critical in a world where the pace of change often outstrips the capacity of traditional institutions to respond.

Embedding AI into the heart of its scientific and policy apparatus carries many risks and uncertainty yet Kazakhstan is embracing a new paradigm of governance—one that is anticipatory, adaptive, and analytically grounded. This shift has the potential to transform how decisions are made, how resources are allocated, and how national goals are pursued.

The system’s ability to integrate diverse datasets, from academic publications to patent filings, from demographic trends to economic indicators, makes it a powerful tool for cross-sectoral analysis. Organizers claim that it can, for example, identify emerging research clusters, forecast labor market shifts, or simulate the impact of policy interventions. In doing so, it empowers decision-makers with the kind of strategic intelligence that is increasingly indispensable in the 21st century.

No digital transformation is complete without a corresponding investment in human capital. Kazakhstan’s AI Silknet initiative is closely tied to efforts to modernize the country’s education system and cultivate a new generation of data scientists, AI engineers, and digital policymakers.

The NAS, in collaboration with universities and research institutes, is developing training programs that align with the competencies required to operate and expand the AI Silknet system. These include courses in machine learning, data governance, computational modeling, and science policy.

CONCLUSION: Kazakhstan’s AI Silknet is more than a technological upgrade — it is a strategic platform for national renewal and regional leadership. By investing in predictive analytics, institutional capacity, and international collaboration, Kazakhstan is laying the groundwork for a digital future that is inclusive, intelligent, and interconnected.

By embedding the technologies into its national economy and new skills into academic curricula and professional development pathways, Kazakhstan is not only building technical capacity—it also aims at improving governance, budget spending and creating thousands of new jobs in the IT and AI sectors. This is essential to ensure that AI Silknet remains a living system—continuously evolving in response to new challenges and opportunities. According to estimates by Tengrinews Agency, Kazakhstan could undergo a workforce shift or restructuring affecting up to one million positions over the next 5 to 10 years due to automation and the implementation of AI.

As Central Asia navigates the complexities of digital transformation, Kazakhstan’s experience offers valuable lessons. It demonstrates that with vision, partnerships, and a commitment to data-driven governance, even mid-sized states can shape the contours of regional development.

In the years ahead, the success of AI Silknet will depend not only on its technical sophistication but on its ability to foster trust, transparency, and shared purpose—both within Kazakhstan and across its borders. If it succeeds, it may well become the backbone of a new digital Silk Road, linking the region’s past to its most promising futures.

AUTHOR’S BIO: Rafis Abazov, PhD, is a director of the Institute for Green and Sustainable Development at Kazakh National Agrarian Research University. He is author of The Culture and Customs of the Central Asian Republics (2007), An Effective Project Manager (2025) and some others. He has been an executive manager for the Global Hub of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) on Sustainability in Kazakhstan since 2014 and facilitated the International Model UN New Silk Way conference in Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries.