Kazakhstan has launched an ambitious national plan under the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence 2026, focusing on modernizing governance, expanding AI-driven education, enhancing cybersecurity, and accelerating the country’s shift toward a digitally powered economy. The comprehensive action plan, approved by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, is structured around eight priority areas and ten major initiatives. According to the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, the official rollout is set to take place in March at the Alem. Ai building. The initiative spans key domains including strategic planning, legal reforms, workforce development, GovTech transformation, cybersecurity, sector-wide digital integration, and smart urban development.

A central element of the program is the introduction of the Digital Qazaqstan strategy, aimed at fostering a supportive ecosystem for domestic IT companies through tax incentives and other measures. The government also plans to implement up to 90% of essential legislation related to digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, data governance, cybersecurity, telecommunications, and digital assets.

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Expanding AI Education and Talent Development

Human capital development plays a pivotal role in the initiative. Through the AI-Sana program, AI education will be integrated across schools, universities, and professional training platforms. Events such as Day of AI Qazaqstan and the launch of TUMO Centers will support secondary education, with the broader goal of reaching at least 450,000 students and educators. Further efforts include scaling up AI University initiatives and expanding the Tomorrow School network across regions to train AI specialists. Programs like AI Governance 500 aim to prepare digital leaders within public institutions, while AI Qyzmet and AI Corporate will equip government employees and corporate staff with practical AI skills to automate routine tasks.

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Transforming Governance Through GovTech

A major component of the plan is the transition to a GovTech model of public administration. This includes the development of digital workplaces for civil servants, enhanced eGov and eGov Business platforms, and the introduction of AI-powered services via the National AI Platform. Targets include equipping at least 80% of civil servants with digital workstations, launching over 50 AI-enabled public services, and migrating 30% of government systems to the QazTech platform. Connectivity will also improve through satellite-based Direct to Cell technology, expanding internet access across transport systems, tourist destinations, and border areas. These measures are expected to increase the quality of digital public services by at least 75%.

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Enhancing Cybersecurity and Infrastructure

The plan places strong emphasis on cybersecurity and data protection. Measures include upgrading security systems, conducting audits of government IT infrastructure, identifying vulnerabilities, and enforcing mandatory security standards. A transition to a centralized government data processing center is also planned to improve system resilience and efficiency.

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Driving Digital Transformation Across Industries

Digitalization efforts will extend to key economic sectors such as energy, agriculture, logistics, construction, and finance. Planned initiatives include AI-driven energy management systems, digitization of 90% of geological data, and AI-based agricultural monitoring to increase productivity by 10%. The program also promotes digital logistics platforms and wider adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in construction projects.

Building Smart Cities and Connected Regions

Urban and regional development is another major focus. Plans include expanding fiber-optic networks in rural areas, improving mobile internet coverage along highways, and achieving full 5G deployment in 20 cities. Public service centers will be redesigned as digital offices with self-service capabilities, while a flagship Smart City project will be implemented in Astana alongside the expansion of IT hubs nationwide. The initiative aims to deliver high-speed internet access to 99% of the population, achieve complete 5G coverage in major cities, increase the urban comfort index by at least 15% annually, and convert at least 20 public service centers into fully digital service hubs. Through this wide-ranging strategy, Kazakhstan is positioning itself as a forward-looking digital nation, leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to enhance governance, economic growth, and quality of life.

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