As tradition holds, the forum opened with a plenary session featuring President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, leaders of global companies, representatives of the international and local IT community, founders of major tech firms, prominent scientists and investors. The President of Hungary, Tamás Sulyok, attended as a guest of honor.
Opening the plenary session, President Tokayev emphasized that Digital Bridge has evolved into an essential platform for open dialogue and for shaping the agenda on the future of the digital economy and global transformation. Over the years, the forum has gathered more than 67,000 participants, over 500 IT companies and delegations from 100 countries. Kazakhstan, as the leading digital hub of the Eurasian region, will continue this mission by strengthening international cooperation and expanding the horizons of digital development.
“Humanity faces several possible scenarios for the future of artificial intelligence. Some hold enormous promise, others present significant challenges. What we can say with certainty is that the future depends on our ability to act together. Artificial intelligence is already a defining reality of our time. Given that the main trajectory of global development in the coming years will be closely tied to AI, I believe that starting next year our forum should be named ‘AI Bridge.’ At the same time, our unique platform will preserve its mission and remain a link between tech giants and startups, business and science, government and citizens. This new focus will further strengthen international cooperation and ensure that artificial intelligence serves the progress of humanity,” said the Head of State.
Speakers at the plenary session included Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov; Sinovation Ventures and 01ai CEO Lee Kai-Fu; Stanford researcher and Google expert Peter Norvig; G42 International CEO Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori; Stanford professor Ilya Strebulaev; among others from the global high-tech industry. The session was moderated by Solana Foundation President Lily Liu.
In his address, Telegram founder Pavel Durov highlighted Kazakhstan’s strong technological potential and stressed the importance of collaborative initiatives that open new opportunities for the country and the region.
“A year ago, we opened our first regional office in Kazakhstan, and we are very pleased with the results. I am glad to announce that today we are launching a specialized artificial intelligence laboratory at the Alem.ai building. First, we will implement a joint project between Telegram and Kazakhstan’s supercomputing cluster, launched by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence. This technology will allow more than a billion people to use AI functions privately, transparently and efficiently. We hope that Kazakhstan’s supercomputing cluster will become the first major provider of computing power for this network,” said Durov.
The opening ceremony also recognized the winners of the national AI SANA Generative Nation competition, which brought together school students, university students, startups and research teams from across the country. Their projects demonstrated that a new generation of IT and AI talent is taking shape in Kazakhstan.
“We face strategic challenges: developing domestic technologies, training highly qualified specialists and integrating artificial intelligence into all key sectors of national development. Digital Bridge has become a practical platform for achieving these goals. This year’s agenda centers on ‘Generative Nation’ — a concept that reflects our commitment to building a knowledge-based society driven by technology and human capital. Over the next three days, the forum will host more than 30,000 participants and feature 120 panel sessions where global and local leaders will discuss major trends and practical solutions,” emphasized Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan.
The forum’s program revolves around six key tracks: Startups Bridge, Tech Bridge, Global Bridge, Gov Bridge, Talent Bridge and Creative Bridge. It includes the grand finale of the Astana Hub Battle startup competition with a $100,000 prize fund, the Digital Bridge Awards national ceremony, Startup Alley, and an IT companies exhibition. Dozens of agreements are also expected to be signed, paving the way for Kazakh companies to enter global markets, attract investment and enhance the foundations of the digital state.
Visitors can explore interactive zones, including a robotics area featuring humanoid robots, robot dogs, rovers and drones in both innovative and entertainment formats. A dedicated art space showcases AI-driven experiments ranging from an AI photo zone to generative illustrations and art installations. A gaming area hosts playtesting, demonstrations, and an esports arena.
The culmination of Digital Bridge 2025 will be the publication of the world’s first AI Manifesto — a document created with the involvement of artificial intelligence. It outlines the core principles of a new technological era: ethics and trust, openness and cooperation, innovation and leadership, sustainability and digital sovereignty.
The forum is organized by the International Innovation Cluster Astana Hub in partnership with the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan and the Akimat of Astana.
This year’s forum is made possible through the support of partners and sponsors, with all expenses covered by sponsorship funds. The general partner of the forum is Freedom Bank Kazakhstan. Gold partners include Kaspi.kz, Yandex Qazaqstan and Kazakhtelecom. Silver partner: Transtelecom. Bronze partners: BI Group, Baiterek National Managing Holding, Eurasian Bank, Ozon, and Tengizchevroil. Innovation partner: inDrive. Information partners: CITIX, Musan Group, EcoGenMedia, MYD, Visit Astana.
Detailed information about the forum is available on the official Digital Bridge 2025 website.
As tradition holds, the forum opened with a plenary session featuring President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, leaders of global companies, representatives of the international and local IT community, founders of major tech firms, prominent scientists and investors. The President of Hungary, Tamás Sulyok, attended as a guest of honor.
Opening the plenary session, President Tokayev emphasized that Digital Bridge has evolved into an essential platform for open dialogue and for shaping the agenda on the future of the digital economy and global transformation. Over the years, the forum has gathered more than 67,000 participants, over 500 IT companies and delegations from 100 countries. Kazakhstan, as the leading digital hub of the Eurasian region, will continue this mission by strengthening international cooperation and expanding the horizons of digital development.
“Humanity faces several possible scenarios for the future of artificial intelligence. Some hold enormous promise, others present significant challenges. What we can say with certainty is that the future depends on our ability to act together. Artificial intelligence is already a defining reality of our time. Given that the main trajectory of global development in the coming years will be closely tied to AI, I believe that starting next year our forum should be named ‘AI Bridge.’ At the same time, our unique platform will preserve its mission and remain a link between tech giants and startups, business and science, government and citizens. This new focus will further strengthen international cooperation and ensure that artificial intelligence serves the progress of humanity,” said the Head of State.
Speakers at the plenary session included Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov; Sinovation Ventures and 01ai CEO Lee Kai-Fu; Stanford researcher and Google expert Peter Norvig; G42 International CEO Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori; Stanford professor Ilya Strebulaev; among others from the global high-tech industry. The session was moderated by Solana Foundation President Lily Liu.
In his address, Telegram founder Pavel Durov highlighted Kazakhstan’s strong technological potential and stressed the importance of collaborative initiatives that open new opportunities for the country and the region.
“A year ago, we opened our first regional office in Kazakhstan, and we are very pleased with the results. I am glad to announce that today we are launching a specialized artificial intelligence laboratory at the Alem.ai building. First, we will implement a joint project between Telegram and Kazakhstan’s supercomputing cluster, launched by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence. This technology will allow more than a billion people to use AI functions privately, transparently and efficiently. We hope that Kazakhstan’s supercomputing cluster will become the first major provider of computing power for this network,” said Durov.
The opening ceremony also recognized the winners of the national AI SANA Generative Nation competition, which brought together school students, university students, startups and research teams from across the country. Their projects demonstrated that a new generation of IT and AI talent is taking shape in Kazakhstan.
“We face strategic challenges: developing domestic technologies, training highly qualified specialists and integrating artificial intelligence into all key sectors of national development. Digital Bridge has become a practical platform for achieving these goals. This year’s agenda centers on ‘Generative Nation’ — a concept that reflects our commitment to building a knowledge-based society driven by technology and human capital. Over the next three days, the forum will host more than 30,000 participants and feature 120 panel sessions where global and local leaders will discuss major trends and practical solutions,” emphasized Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan.
The forum’s program revolves around six key tracks: Startups Bridge, Tech Bridge, Global Bridge, Gov Bridge, Talent Bridge and Creative Bridge. It includes the grand finale of the Astana Hub Battle startup competition with a $100,000 prize fund, the Digital Bridge Awards national ceremony, Startup Alley, and an IT companies exhibition. Dozens of agreements are also expected to be signed, paving the way for Kazakh companies to enter global markets, attract investment and enhance the foundations of the digital state.
Visitors can explore interactive zones, including a robotics area featuring humanoid robots, robot dogs, rovers and drones in both innovative and entertainment formats. A dedicated art space showcases AI-driven experiments ranging from an AI photo zone to generative illustrations and art installations. A gaming area hosts playtesting, demonstrations, and an esports arena.
The culmination of Digital Bridge 2025 will be the publication of the world’s first AI Manifesto — a document created with the involvement of artificial intelligence. It outlines the core principles of a new technological era: ethics and trust, openness and cooperation, innovation and leadership, sustainability and digital sovereignty.
The forum is organized by the International Innovation Cluster Astana Hub in partnership with the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan and the Akimat of Astana.
This year’s forum is made possible through the support of partners and sponsors, with all expenses covered by sponsorship funds. The general partner of the forum is Freedom Bank Kazakhstan. Gold partners include Kaspi.kz, Yandex Qazaqstan and Kazakhtelecom. Silver partner: Transtelecom. Bronze partners: BI Group, Baiterek National Managing Holding, Eurasian Bank, Ozon, and Tengizchevroil. Innovation partner: inDrive. Information partners: CITIX, Musan Group, EcoGenMedia, MYD, Visit Astana.
Detailed information about the forum is available on the official Digital Bridge 2025 website.
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