Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, Zhaslan Madiyev, presented the International Artificial Intelligence Center — alem.ai. The Center will host the Tomorrow School Junior for students in grades 9–11 and the peer-to-peer learning-based Tomorrow School for training AI specialists, leveraging the 01Edu System platform. It will also house an AI startup campus for teams participating in incubation and acceleration programs, as well as AI and R&D centers of global tech giants.

“alem.ai will become the leading platform for research, startup development, and international collaboration in artificial intelligence. It will boost the export of Kazakhstani AI solutions and usher in a new wave of technological and economic growth, positioning Astana as the intellectual hub of Central Asia,” said Zhaslan Madiyev.

The presidents were also introduced to the National AI Platform, which allows users with no coding experience to build AI assistants. They were shown Kazakhstan’s proactive public services, along with state support mechanisms delivered through a digital social wallet.

To support the infrastructure needed for large-scale AI adoption, Kazakhstan will build two high-capacity data centers with a combined 200 MW of processing power, to be located in the Akmola and Karaganda regions. The project will be implemented in partnership with Singapore-based GK Hyperscale Ltd.

Abdulahad Kuchkarov, CEO of IT Park Uzbekistan, and Magzhan Madiyev, CEO of Astana Hub, introduced the Central Asian Innovation Hubs — an alliance of the region’s largest tech parks, established to strengthen the startup ecosystem. Launched in 2024, the initiative has already supported more than 40 startups at global events including INMerge Innovation Summit, Web Summit 2024, and TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. The alliance is helping build regional identity and open new opportunities — including a joint innovation hub in Silicon Valley. At AlmatyFair.ai, the parties signed a memorandum to expand the global market presence of Kazakhstani and Uzbekistani tech companies. In 2025, the alliance plans to take part in leading international forums and launch hubs in the UAE and China. By 2030, the initiative aims to help create more than eight unicorns (startups valued at over $1 billion) and increase technology exports to $10 billion.

The presidents were also briefed on a large-scale initiative to train 1 million people in AI skills. As part of the world's largest AI education program, AI People, 60,000 Central Asian citizens will be trained in 2025. Kazakhstan will also launch the AI Kyzmet initiative in partnership with public sector institutions to certify civil servants in AI competencies. In parallel, the AI Corporate initiative aims to build AI capabilities in the private sector.

Several cutting-edge AI startups were featured at the exhibition. Higgsfield is developing foundational AI models comparable to OpenAI and Anthropic, and showcased its mobile app, Diffuse, which transforms text into video. Dereknet presented its Derek Suite platform, which uses AI and mathematical modeling to create digital twins of mineral deposits. Taisan unveiled a breakthrough polymer electrolyte and sodium metal anode that enhances battery energy density at low cost. VR Uniblock demonstrated a next-generation wireless communication system with ultra-low latency for mission-critical applications. Codiplay showcased an educational app that teaches children programming in C++, Scratch, and Python through arcade-style games, combining learning with gamification.

Both presidents praised the organization of AlmatyFair.ai and highlighted the importance of building strong AI ecosystems in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.