Jensen Huang, founder of the world’s most valuable company, and Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, discussed how Kazakhstan can harness its energy resources, industrial capacity and computing power to build a next-generation economy.
Kazakhstan has set a strategic goal of becoming a global hub for Physical AI—artificial intelligence that controls robots, autonomous vehicles and industrial processes in the real world. This ambition was the central theme of a fireside chat between Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, and Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the alem.ai International Artificial Intelligence Center. The discussion explored how AI is reshaping the global economy, what countries need to develop their own technologies, and how Kazakhstan can nurture world-class companies.
“Kazakhstan is the first country I have visited where the President has declared AI development a national priority. Artificial intelligence will help your country reach the next level, empower people, and enable companies to compete and scale globally. AI will transform your society. If you have aspirations and ambitions, you need leadership that helps shape them. This is precisely the ambitious goal President Tokayev has set: to make Kazakhstan an AI nation. Every company I met today aspires to become a successful international business with a global reach. Artificial intelligence will help turn those ambitions into reality. The only thing that matters is whether you have ambition. If you do, artificial intelligence and robotics will help you reach the next level and expand your capabilities. If you are a scientist, an AI assistant will enable you to explore much more. If you are an engineer, AI tools will help you develop better technical solutions,” said Jensen Huang.
Why This Visit Matters
Jensen Huang is one of the few people whose decisions directly shape the pace of the global AI economy. Over 33 years at the helm of NVIDIA, he has transformed a graphics card manufacturer into the leading provider of computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence. NVIDIA became the first company in history to surpass both $4 trillion and $5 trillion in market capitalization. In early October 2026, its market value stood at approximately $5.8 trillion—a figure comparable to the GDP of some of the world’s largest economies. Its chips power ChatGPT, major cloud providers and national AI programs around the world.
Huang describes artificial intelligence as a new industrial revolution—one that produces intelligence rather than energy or food. Just as power plants are built to generate energy, computing infrastructure is built to produce intelligence. A visit at this level signals that Kazakhstan is being viewed as a participant in the global AI economy, as well as a market for existing solutions.
Kazakhstan is pursuing this vision. In his September 8, 2025, State of the Nation Address, “Kazakhstan in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set the goal of making Kazakhstan a fully digital country within three years and established the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. The year 2026 has been declared the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. The Presidential Council for the Development of Artificial Intelligence brings together internationally recognized experts, including Kai-Fu Lee, Peter Norvig and John Hopcroft.
“Kazakhstan aspires to become an AI nation. Artificial intelligence begins with cognitive capabilities, but it also encompasses Physical AI. This is the largest of all industries because so much of the world around us involves interacting with and understanding the physical environment. Kazakhstan has important areas where these technologies can be applied: mining, natural resources and agriculture. All of these industries will benefit from the next wave of Physical AI. This is a tremendous opportunity for Kazakhstan to help shape the future of this industry,” Huang emphasized.
“Kazakhstan has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming one of the world’s leading centers for Physical AI development. To achieve this, we are steadily building the necessary infrastructure: expanding computing capacity, investing in talent development, and creating the conditions for AI adoption across the real economy. Cooperation with NVIDIA opens up opportunities to apply advanced technologies in industry, energy, transport and robotics. Our ambition is not simply to use existing AI solutions, but to develop our own technologies in Kazakhstan that can compete globally,” said Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Infrastructure and Homegrown Models
The Alem.Cloud national supercomputer, powered by NVIDIA H200 GPUs, has ranked among the world’s top 100 supercomputers. The AI-Farabium computing facility is operational in Almaty. In Ekibastuz, one of the country’s largest energy hubs, Data Center Valley is being developed as a cluster of data centers with approximately 300 MW of capacity, with the potential to expand to 1 GW. As additional power generation capacity comes online, an AI cluster of up to 5 GW could become a viable target. In the new economy, the combination of energy and computing capacity determines whether a country produces intelligence domestically or purchases it from abroad.
Huang has repeatedly advised governments to begin by embedding their languages and cultural data in their own language models. Kazakhstan is already developing both large and small language models of its own.
Physical AI: The Next Wave of Artificial Intelligence
While generative AI works with text, images and code, Physical AI extends into the physical world, controlling robots, autonomous vehicles and intelligent manufacturing systems. “Robotics is already here. Physical AI is already here,” Huang says of this transition. At the heart of NVIDIA’s approach is a digital twin of an industrial facility, allowing engineers to simulate processes and train robots before making changes on the actual factory floor. Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Wistron used such a digital twin to bring a factory online in two and a half months, compared with the usual five.
Kazakhstan’s mining and metallurgical complexes, energy facilities and transport infrastructure could serve as sites for developing and testing these systems. Participants discussed attracting international Physical AI developers to test their technologies in the country’s real-world industrial environments. Bringing together industrial operations, sector-specific data, computing resources and engineering talent within one country creates the foundations for an international testbed for robotics and autonomous systems.
“Physical AI is about more than robotics. It encompasses everything from seismic surveys and the mapping of mines and wells to geology, materials science and chemical processing. Artificial intelligence will fundamentally transform each of these fields. From extracting and processing minerals to creating new materials, Physical AI will open up new opportunities at every stage,” Huang noted.
Kazakhstani Companies and Talent Go Global
As computing becomes more accessible, the greatest value is created by companies that turn models into products used by millions of people. One example is Higgsfield AI, a Kazakhstani technology unicorn specializing in generative video. According to the company, its valuation has exceeded $9 billion, while its annualized revenue reached $1 billion just 18 months after launch. More than 600 Higgsfield AI employees work in Kazakhstan.
Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, announced NVIDIA’s investment in Kazakhstani AI startup Higgsfield AI. Commenting on the decision, NVIDIA Founder and CEO Jensen Huang highlighted the team’s considerable potential, emphasizing that the primary value of any investment lies in its people.
According to Huang, Higgsfield AI’s founders have a strategic vision and have put forward a promising idea that requires substantial expertise to execute. Despite intense competition from well-funded companies in San Francisco and other US technology hubs, the Higgsfield AI team includes some of the most talented specialists in the world.
“When you invest in a company, you invest in people. That is why it is important to choose the best,” said Jensen Huang.
Astana Hub is building the ecosystem that supports companies like Higgsfield AI, while the NVIDIA Inception program gives Kazakhstani startups access to NVIDIA’s technologies and expertise. The next generation of engineers is being trained at alem.ai, TUMO Astana, Tomorrow School and the country’s leading universities. The parties are considering establishing a regional NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute center at QAIRU; representatives of 12 technical universities have already taken part in the pilot program.
“Our role as parents is to nurture hope, ambition and the desire to achieve more in our children—to help them dream bigger. And when they set themselves big goals, artificial intelligence helps them achieve those goals. This principle applies equally to children, adults, companies and entire countries,” Huang said.
What This Means for Kazakhstan
The global economy is entering an era in which countries’ competitiveness depends not only on their natural resources, but also on their ability to turn energy and data into intelligence. The meeting in Astana demonstrated that Kazakhstan has an opportunity to secure its own place in this new economy by building on its strengths.
When international technology companies come to a country to develop and test solutions, they bring investment, expertise and demand for local engineers and software developers. Talented professionals no longer need to leave the country to work on world-class technologies; those opportunities become available at home. Industries that have underpinned the economy for decades gain new capabilities. At mines and energy facilities, robots and autonomous systems will be able to take on the most dangerous tasks, making operations safer and more efficient.
A new generation of Kazakhstani citizens is developing, from an early age, the skills that will shape the world in the decades ahead. School and university students are learning through world-class programs at TUMO Astana, Tomorrow School and NVIDIA’s partner universities. Homegrown language models, KazLLM and AlemLLM, are laying the foundations for technological sovereignty, ensuring that AI in Kazakhstan can speak Kazakh and understand the needs of its users.
This is the broader significance of these developments: the country’s energy resources, industrial capacity and human potential are beginning to drive a knowledge economy. Kazakhstan, known globally as an exporter of raw materials, now has the opportunity to become an exporter of technology.
Following the fireside chat, Jensen Huang signed the guest book at the alem.ai International Artificial Intelligence Center.
Jensen Huang’s visit marked the conclusion of AI Month, a series of events dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence in Kazakhstan, with NVIDIA serving as General Partner. The program began on September 23 with the international HackAlem AI hackathon, which set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest number of participants in an AI hackathon.
Jensen Huang, founder of the world’s most valuable company, and Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, discussed how Kazakhstan can harness its energy resources, industrial capacity and computing power to build a next-generation economy.
Kazakhstan has set a strategic goal of becoming a global hub for Physical AI—artificial intelligence that controls robots, autonomous vehicles and industrial processes in the real world. This ambition was the central theme of a fireside chat between Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA, and Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at the alem.ai International Artificial Intelligence Center. The discussion explored how AI is reshaping the global economy, what countries need to develop their own technologies, and how Kazakhstan can nurture world-class companies.
“Kazakhstan is the first country I have visited where the President has declared AI development a national priority. Artificial intelligence will help your country reach the next level, empower people, and enable companies to compete and scale globally. AI will transform your society. If you have aspirations and ambitions, you need leadership that helps shape them. This is precisely the ambitious goal President Tokayev has set: to make Kazakhstan an AI nation. Every company I met today aspires to become a successful international business with a global reach. Artificial intelligence will help turn those ambitions into reality. The only thing that matters is whether you have ambition. If you do, artificial intelligence and robotics will help you reach the next level and expand your capabilities. If you are a scientist, an AI assistant will enable you to explore much more. If you are an engineer, AI tools will help you develop better technical solutions,” said Jensen Huang.
Why This Visit Matters
Jensen Huang is one of the few people whose decisions directly shape the pace of the global AI economy. Over 33 years at the helm of NVIDIA, he has transformed a graphics card manufacturer into the leading provider of computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence. NVIDIA became the first company in history to surpass both $4 trillion and $5 trillion in market capitalization. In early October 2026, its market value stood at approximately $5.8 trillion—a figure comparable to the GDP of some of the world’s largest economies. Its chips power ChatGPT, major cloud providers and national AI programs around the world.
Huang describes artificial intelligence as a new industrial revolution—one that produces intelligence rather than energy or food. Just as power plants are built to generate energy, computing infrastructure is built to produce intelligence. A visit at this level signals that Kazakhstan is being viewed as a participant in the global AI economy, as well as a market for existing solutions.
Kazakhstan is pursuing this vision. In his September 8, 2025, State of the Nation Address, “Kazakhstan in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set the goal of making Kazakhstan a fully digital country within three years and established the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. The year 2026 has been declared the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. The Presidential Council for the Development of Artificial Intelligence brings together internationally recognized experts, including Kai-Fu Lee, Peter Norvig and John Hopcroft.
“Kazakhstan aspires to become an AI nation. Artificial intelligence begins with cognitive capabilities, but it also encompasses Physical AI. This is the largest of all industries because so much of the world around us involves interacting with and understanding the physical environment. Kazakhstan has important areas where these technologies can be applied: mining, natural resources and agriculture. All of these industries will benefit from the next wave of Physical AI. This is a tremendous opportunity for Kazakhstan to help shape the future of this industry,” Huang emphasized.
“Kazakhstan has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming one of the world’s leading centers for Physical AI development. To achieve this, we are steadily building the necessary infrastructure: expanding computing capacity, investing in talent development, and creating the conditions for AI adoption across the real economy. Cooperation with NVIDIA opens up opportunities to apply advanced technologies in industry, energy, transport and robotics. Our ambition is not simply to use existing AI solutions, but to develop our own technologies in Kazakhstan that can compete globally,” said Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Infrastructure and Homegrown Models
The Alem.Cloud national supercomputer, powered by NVIDIA H200 GPUs, has ranked among the world’s top 100 supercomputers. The AI-Farabium computing facility is operational in Almaty. In Ekibastuz, one of the country’s largest energy hubs, Data Center Valley is being developed as a cluster of data centers with approximately 300 MW of capacity, with the potential to expand to 1 GW. As additional power generation capacity comes online, an AI cluster of up to 5 GW could become a viable target. In the new economy, the combination of energy and computing capacity determines whether a country produces intelligence domestically or purchases it from abroad.
Huang has repeatedly advised governments to begin by embedding their languages and cultural data in their own language models. Kazakhstan is already developing both large and small language models of its own.
Physical AI: The Next Wave of Artificial Intelligence
While generative AI works with text, images and code, Physical AI extends into the physical world, controlling robots, autonomous vehicles and intelligent manufacturing systems. “Robotics is already here. Physical AI is already here,” Huang says of this transition. At the heart of NVIDIA’s approach is a digital twin of an industrial facility, allowing engineers to simulate processes and train robots before making changes on the actual factory floor. Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Wistron used such a digital twin to bring a factory online in two and a half months, compared with the usual five.
Kazakhstan’s mining and metallurgical complexes, energy facilities and transport infrastructure could serve as sites for developing and testing these systems. Participants discussed attracting international Physical AI developers to test their technologies in the country’s real-world industrial environments. Bringing together industrial operations, sector-specific data, computing resources and engineering talent within one country creates the foundations for an international testbed for robotics and autonomous systems.
“Physical AI is about more than robotics. It encompasses everything from seismic surveys and the mapping of mines and wells to geology, materials science and chemical processing. Artificial intelligence will fundamentally transform each of these fields. From extracting and processing minerals to creating new materials, Physical AI will open up new opportunities at every stage,” Huang noted.
Kazakhstani Companies and Talent Go Global
As computing becomes more accessible, the greatest value is created by companies that turn models into products used by millions of people. One example is Higgsfield AI, a Kazakhstani technology unicorn specializing in generative video. According to the company, its valuation has exceeded $9 billion, while its annualized revenue reached $1 billion just 18 months after launch. More than 600 Higgsfield AI employees work in Kazakhstan.
Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, announced NVIDIA’s investment in Kazakhstani AI startup Higgsfield AI. Commenting on the decision, NVIDIA Founder and CEO Jensen Huang highlighted the team’s considerable potential, emphasizing that the primary value of any investment lies in its people.
According to Huang, Higgsfield AI’s founders have a strategic vision and have put forward a promising idea that requires substantial expertise to execute. Despite intense competition from well-funded companies in San Francisco and other US technology hubs, the Higgsfield AI team includes some of the most talented specialists in the world.
“When you invest in a company, you invest in people. That is why it is important to choose the best,” said Jensen Huang.
Astana Hub is building the ecosystem that supports companies like Higgsfield AI, while the NVIDIA Inception program gives Kazakhstani startups access to NVIDIA’s technologies and expertise. The next generation of engineers is being trained at alem.ai, TUMO Astana, Tomorrow School and the country’s leading universities. The parties are considering establishing a regional NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute center at QAIRU; representatives of 12 technical universities have already taken part in the pilot program.
“Our role as parents is to nurture hope, ambition and the desire to achieve more in our children—to help them dream bigger. And when they set themselves big goals, artificial intelligence helps them achieve those goals. This principle applies equally to children, adults, companies and entire countries,” Huang said.
What This Means for Kazakhstan
The global economy is entering an era in which countries’ competitiveness depends not only on their natural resources, but also on their ability to turn energy and data into intelligence. The meeting in Astana demonstrated that Kazakhstan has an opportunity to secure its own place in this new economy by building on its strengths.
When international technology companies come to a country to develop and test solutions, they bring investment, expertise and demand for local engineers and software developers. Talented professionals no longer need to leave the country to work on world-class technologies; those opportunities become available at home. Industries that have underpinned the economy for decades gain new capabilities. At mines and energy facilities, robots and autonomous systems will be able to take on the most dangerous tasks, making operations safer and more efficient.
A new generation of Kazakhstani citizens is developing, from an early age, the skills that will shape the world in the decades ahead. School and university students are learning through world-class programs at TUMO Astana, Tomorrow School and NVIDIA’s partner universities. Homegrown language models, KazLLM and AlemLLM, are laying the foundations for technological sovereignty, ensuring that AI in Kazakhstan can speak Kazakh and understand the needs of its users.
This is the broader significance of these developments: the country’s energy resources, industrial capacity and human potential are beginning to drive a knowledge economy. Kazakhstan, known globally as an exporter of raw materials, now has the opportunity to become an exporter of technology.
Following the fireside chat, Jensen Huang signed the guest book at the alem.ai International Artificial Intelligence Center.
Jensen Huang’s visit marked the conclusion of AI Month, a series of events dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence in Kazakhstan, with NVIDIA serving as General Partner. The program began on September 23 with the international HackAlem AI hackathon, which set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest number of participants in an AI hackathon.
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