Astana, 9 September 2025 – The Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) participated in the national expert platform “KISI GPS: Gylym. Pikir. Sayasat,” organized by the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KISI). The event focused on discussing the strategic directions set out in President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s Address to the Nation, delivered on 8 September 2025.
The expert platform brought together senior figures from government institutions, research centers, universities, and policy organizations. Structured across three thematic blocks—political reforms, economic and social development, and digitalization and artificial intelligence—the discussion served as a venue to analyze the Address and explore its practical implications.
ISSAI was represented by Executive Director Yerbol Absalyamov, who spoke during the “Digitalization and AI” block. In his remarks, he emphasized the strategic significance of sovereign artificial intelligence development for Kazakhstan. He highlighted ISSAI’s progress in creating the country’s first large Kazakh language model, trained on extensive datasets using national supercomputing infrastructure. According to Mr. Absalyamov, this achievement is not only a technological milestone but also a step toward strengthening Kazakhstan’s digital independence and preserving its cultural and linguistic identity.
Addressing expectations around artificial intelligence, Mr. Absalyamov cautioned that AI systems will not be created immediately. He stressed that meaningful progress requires long-term commitment and investment in research and development. In this context, he called on the government to prioritize scientific research as part of its digital agenda and to support institutions that are building national capacity in this field. He emphasized that artificial intelligence should not be seen as a substitute for human decision-making, but rather as a powerful assistant that can streamline processes in fields such as logistics, translation, and public administration.
Looking ahead, Mr. Absalyamov suggested that Kazakhstan is well positioned to become a regional leader in applying AI technologies in areas such as natural resource management, financial technology, and supply chain optimization—domains where the country already has competitive strengths. He also highlighted the need to expand access to AI education and resources beyond major cities, ensuring that opportunities are evenly distributed across regions.
The platform featured a wide range of speakers and experts. Moderated by Zhandos Shaimardanov, Director of KISI, the event included contributions from Alikhan Baimenov, Chair of the Steering Committee of the Astana Civil Service Hub; Madina Nurgaliyeva, Director of the Institute for Public Policy; Rasul Rysmambetov, Director of NAC Analytica; Aigul Kosherbayeva, Scientific Secretary at KISI; Adil Kusmanov, Chairman of the Board of the Center for International Programs; and Altair Akhmetov, Dean of the School of Digital Government at Astana IT University.
ISSAI was represented by Yerbol Absalyamov and Senior External Affairs Manager Aigerim Sarsenova. The Institute appreciates KISI’s commitment to fostering open, expert dialogue on key national issues. ISSAI looks forward to continued collaboration as Kazakhstan works to implement the digital and AI initiatives outlined in the President’s Address.