Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed from a promising technology into one of the key drivers of the global economy over the past few years. Today, AI is actively being implemented in all sectors, from business, education, public administration, the financial sector, medicine, and industry. In the current era of intensive digitalization, competition between countries is determined not only by the volume of natural or financial resources but also by the speed of advanced technology adoption. According to international studies, hundreds of millions of people worldwide now use generative AI services, and the spread of related technologies and solutions is growing at an unprecedented pace, reports Todayinfo.
In this context, Kazakhstan is not merely following global trends but is actively shaping its own AI ecosystem. Moreover, the country is already showing significant results, competing among Central Asian and EAEU countries. For instance, according to the Global AI Diffusion ranking prepared by Microsoft, Kazakhstan has become a leader among CA and EAEU countries in terms of AI diffusion.
The ranking reflects the proportion of the population aged 15 to 64 years who use any AI-related services. In other words, the higher the penetration of AI products and digital solutions in a country, the more actively the population interacts with such technologies. In practice, this indicator determines not only the popularity of AI services but also the level of development of digital infrastructure, the technological environment, the accessibility, and the overall maturity of the AI ecosystem.
As of the first quarter of 2026, Kazakhstan ranked 70th among 147 countries, which is a very strong result considering the competition with much more developed economies. Furthermore, Kazakhstan's indicator of 15.9% significantly exceeds the results of other Central Asian and EAEU countries. For comparison, the AI diffusion level in Belarus was 9.6%, in Kyrgyzstan 9.5%, in Russia 9.5%, in Uzbekistan 7.2%, and in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan 6.1%.
Kazakhstan also led in the growth of this indicator: compared to the second half of 2025, the increase was 2.2 percentage points. In Russia, the growth in AI diffusion was 1.5 percentage points, in Kyrgyzstan 1.3 percentage points, in Belarus 1.2 percentage points, and in other CA and EAEU countries, it was less than 1 percentage point.
In this regard, Kazakhstan is not only among the countries with a high level of AI penetration in the region but also one of the states demonstrating the highest growth rates globally. According to the same ranking data, Kazakhstan entered the top 10 countries worldwide in terms of the growth in the number of AI service users: the indicator increased by 25.6% compared to the second half of 2025.
Today, the development of any industry increasingly depends on the level of cooperation between countries and their readiness for joint implementation of new technologies. This is especially relevant for the fields of digitalization, ICT, and AI, where the exchange of experience, personnel, infrastructure solutions, and technological skills plays a crucial role. In this context, Kazakhstan's interaction with other countries within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) is becoming one of the important directions.
Thus, an informal summit of the Council of Heads of Member States of the OTS will be held in Turkistan on May 15, 2026. According to experts, the upcoming meeting could be an important stage in the transition of the Turkic space to a new technological paradigm. The summit's theme is «Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development,» and discussions will cover issues of AI implementation, digital infrastructure development, technological cooperation, and strengthening economic ties among participating countries.
For OTS countries, this is not only a platform for dialogue but also an opportunity to form a joint digital space, exchange experiences, and accelerate the development of their AI ecosystems.
