February 26, 2025 – A workshop on “Artificial Intelligence and Ethics: A Sustainable Future” took place at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. The event was organized by the Central Asian Office of the Muslim Council of Elders with the support of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The primary goal of the workshop was to discuss the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence (AI), examine its role in sustainable development, and exchange international expertise. Participants from Kazakhstan, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan gathered to contribute to this dialogue.
Opening the workshop, Deputy Chairman of the Senate, Zhakyp Asanov, delivered a welcoming address from the Speaker of the Senate, Maulen Ashimbayev. In his remarks, the Vice Speaker emphasized the importance of AI development and its ethical aspects. He highlighted that AI has already become an integral part of various sectors, including healthcare, education, and public administration, and continues to shape the modern world.
Abylaikhan Ospanov, Chief Director of the Digital Business Division at Kazakhtelecom JSC, spoke about the benefits of AI in process optimization, customer experience enhancement, effective asset management, and cost reduction. He also provided recommendations for AI implementation, such as investing in employee training, launching pilot projects, and fostering inter-industry cooperation.
Darkhan Myrzabayev, Deputy Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Development Committee, elaborated on the AI ecosystem in Kazakhstan. He noted the implementation of the AI Development Concept for 2024-2029 and the ongoing development of an AI bill. Myrzabayev also spoke about KazLLM, the National Language Model developed by the Institute for Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) at Nazarbayev University. The model consists of 70 billion parameters and 150 billion tokens, supporting Kazakh, Russian, English, and Turkish languages. KazLLM has been open-source since December 2024. One of the key initiatives he discussed was the creation of an international AI center, Alem.AI, which aims to serve as a hub for AI research and development, with ISSAI considered a potential resident.
ISSAI’s Contributions to AI Development
ISSAI’s Executive Director, Yerbol Absalyamov, was invited as a speaker to present ISSAI’s achievements in AI development. He showcased ISSAI’s contributions, including: the Soyle App (an online AI-powered translator), the Oylan Language Vision Model, and the AI-powered avatar Aibike.
Emphasizing ISSAI’s role in Kazakhstan’s AI development, Absalyamov stated:
“ISSAI prepares fundamental models, develops local human resources, and the state and business enterprises implement products based on our fundamental models, preparing digital applications and services. This will be facilitated by the infrastructure developed by the Ministry of Digital Development, including supercomputers and data centers.”
He also underscored the ethical principles ISSAI adheres to, emphasizing that all projects executed at ISSAI align with the core values of “AI for Good” and “AI for Kazakhstan.”
ISSAI Recognized as a Leader in AI Development
The workshop also featured insights from the Candidate of Technical Sciences, Professor at Osh Technological University in the Kyrgyz Republic, who shared AI and ethics practices in Central Asia and recognized ISSAI as a leader in AI development in the region.
Makpal Zhumabay, Chief Director of JSC “Til Qazyna”, emphasized ISSAI’s crucial role in developing the KazLLM language model and its overall contribution to the creation of Kazakh language corpora. She highlighted its importance in supporting the Kazakh language as the state and interstate communication language, enhancing technological advancements, ensuring data security, fostering education, and improving scientific projects.
The audience highly praised ISSAI’s achievements and contributions. Rector of Eurasian National University, Dr. Yerlan Sydykov, personally expressed his appreciation, stating that he was particularly impressed by ISSAI’s projects.
The event was attended by representatives from government agencies, leading research institutes, and IT specialists. During the panel sessions, participants discussed AI development trends, language models and digital linguistics, and the growth of the AI ecosystem.
The workshop provided a platform for knowledge exchange and collaborative discussions, reinforcing the commitment to ethical AI development and sustainable technological advancements in Kazakhstan and beyond.