Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan resist US pressure to choose sides in AI race
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Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are signaling they will not comply with a US State Department draft note requiring Pax Silica members to shun China's WAICO AI initiative. Kazakh officials have not commented publicly, but recent cooperation with China on AI platforms and training continues. Uzbek presidential aide Bobur Khodjaev said on August 24 that Uzbekistan will choose the best available AI solutions regardless of origin.
Key Facts
- The US State Department drafted a note requiring Pax Silica members to refrain from participating in China's WAICO initiative, Reuters reported on August 14.
- Kazakhstan is a member of both Pax Silica and WAICO, while Uzbekistan is a signatory to WAICO and has expressed interest in expanding AI cooperation with the US.
- On August 18, Kazakh and Chinese academies of sciences agreed to jointly develop a science-focused AI platform for analyzing scientific literature and large data sets.
- Uzbek presidential aide Bobur Khodjaev said on August 24 that Uzbekistan will continue to choose the best available AI solutions regardless of national origin.
- Kazakh engineers from the national space company recently participated in a training program in China on using AI for satellite data analysis and disaster early warning.
US-China AI Rivalry
The US State Department drafted a note stating that any nation interested in widening access to advanced American AI technology under Pax Silica must refrain from participating in China's WAICO initiative. Reuters reported the draft note on August 14, amid an intensifying race between the United States and China for leadership in AI development. Kazakhstan is a member of both Pax Silica and WAICO, while Uzbekistan is a signatory to WAICO and has expressed keen interest in expanding cooperation with the United States in AI development. The United States has taken steps over the past 18 months to expand economic ties with all five Central Asian states.
Kazakh-Chinese AI Cooperation
On August 18, experts from the Kazakh and Chinese academies of sciences agreed to jointly develop a science-focused AI platform to analyze scientific literature and large data sets, identify patterns, formulate and test hypotheses, model complex processes, plan experiments, and predict results. Kazakhstan and China are also working on an AI initiative called DeepBas, which aims to develop specialized models for more efficient management of water resources. Kazakh engineers from the national space company recently participated in a training program in China on using AI to analyze satellite data to improve natural disaster early warning capabilities. At a recent symposium in Almaty, Chinese and Kazakh researchers discussed AI applications in medicine and agriculture, as well as joint research and training for young AI specialists.
Uzbekistan's Position
Speaking at a technology forum in Tashkent on August 24, Bobur Khodjaev, an aide to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, issued what could be considered a veiled plea for the US to abandon an 'us-or-them' stance on AI development. Khodjaev stated that Uzbek officials would continue to opt for the best available AI solutions, regardless of national origin. He acknowledged that American tech may be superior but also stressed that China offered more affordable options. Gazeta.uz quoted Khodjaev as saying, 'As a developing country, we want to have access to all available technologies.'
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Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan resist US pressure to choose sides in AI race
