On October 2, 2025, the Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) at Nazarbayev University hosted a high-level panel at Digital Bridge 2025 in Astana, bringing together global and regional leaders to discuss how Kazakhstan can localize artificial intelligence while ensuring global relevance.
The panel, titled “Bridging Academia, Innovation, and Society: Localizing AI for Global Relevance,” took place in Quantum Hall and was moderated by Amina Baikenova, Acting Deputy Director of Product and External Affairs at ISSAI.
Opening the discussion, Sarim Aziz, Director of Public Policy at Meta Platforms Inc., emphasized the importance of open research and collaborative ecosystems: “Open-source models like Llama are already being adapted for the Kazakh language. By joining global initiatives such as the AI Alliance, Kazakhstan can ensure its voice is heard in shaping the future of AI.” He noted that governments should prioritize robust safety benchmarks while avoiding overly rigid regulations that might hinder innovation.
From the startup perspective, Elmira Obry, Founder of Foody AI, highlighted the transformative impact of AI: “Our food recognition system has improved from 65% to over 90% accuracy thanks to AI. But for Central Asia to be competitive, we urgently need localized datasets — whether for food, language, or culture. Just as importantly, investors must be educated to understand and value AI-driven businesses.”
Prof. Huseyin Atakan Varol, Founding Director of ISSAI, underscored the strategic imperative for Kazakhstan to build sovereign AI capabilities: “While global powers dominate AI with massive investments, countries like Kazakhstan must carve out their own niche. Localized, domain-specific models rooted in our languages and culture are essential for ensuring sovereignty in the digital era.” He pointed to ISSAI’s release of open datasets and the launch of Oylan — Kazakhstan’s first multimodal Language Audio Vision model — as key steps in this direction.
Adding a broader regional perspective, Leisan Akhmadullina, Director of Development and Corporate Innovations at Innopolis, stressed the need for integration: “Fragmented solutions often fail. Success in AI comes when academia, business, and government work together on unified platforms that reduce costs, improve scalability, and accelerate adoption.”
The panel concluded that Kazakhstan’s future in AI will depend on its ability to combine local innovation with global collaboration, ensuring the country becomes not only a consumer of AI technologies but an active contributor to the global ecosystem.