Almaty has officially become a center of the global technology agenda. At the large-scale forum GITEX AI Kazakhstan 2026, one of the key highlights was the speech by world-renowned artificial intelligence expert Kai-Fu Lee. The well-known futurist and investor conducted a closed “AI Class” for top executives and government officials of Kazakhstan.
AI as a driver of the economy
Kai-Fu Lee, who recently joined the AI Development Council under the President of Kazakhstan, emphasized that artificial intelligence can dramatically accelerate economic processes and reduce technology costs by dozens of times. He placed particular focus on autonomous AI agents — systems capable of independently planning tasks and making decisions without constant human involvement.
Regional technological leadership
More than 300 companies showcased their solutions at the forum’s exhibition area, including global leaders such as Huawei, Google Cloud, Cisco, and Dell. Kazakhstan is demonstrating rapid growth: the country’s technology ecosystem has reached $26 billion, while venture investments in the AI sector have increased more than fivefold over the past two years.
New opportunities for business and government
In addition to Kai-Fu Lee’s speech, the forum became a platform for practical agreements aimed at strengthening the region’s digital capabilities. The Ministry of AI and Digital Development announced plans to build a large-scale data center campus with a capacity of up to 200 MW. To ensure stable operation of such infrastructure, the creation of a dedicated power plant is planned, which will help Kazakhstan address energy supply challenges for large computing capacities and attract global technology players.
Forecasts and Trends
Forum experts highlighted the shift from simple conversational systems to “sovereign technologies.” Integrating intelligence into government systems, industry, and finance will enable real-time decision-making, making the economy more proactive and resilient to challenges.
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