Tokayev urges balanced AI regulation at Digital Bridge forum

October 1, 2026 at 08:40 PM2 min

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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for balanced regulation of artificial intelligence at the AI & Digital Bridge-2026 forum in Astana. He warned that excessive regulation could drive developers and capital to other jurisdictions. Tokayev also stressed the need for international cooperation and responsible AI use.

Key Facts

Tokayev said Kazakhstan has already formed a basic legal framework for digital transformation, including the Law on Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Code.
He warned that overregulation could push promising teams, developments, and capital to other jurisdictions.
Tokayev called for the creation of a national scientific and engineering school to train qualified specialists, with a special role for the recently opened Qazaq AI Research University.
He emphasized that no country can fully unlock AI's potential alone and called for international knowledge exchange, joint research, investment, and technological cooperation.
Tokayev stated that Kazakhstan consistently advocates for peaceful, safe, and responsible use of AI, and that technology should serve people and act as a catalyst for progress.

Regulatory Balance

Tokayev said Kazakhstan has already formed a basic legal framework for digital transformation, including the Law on Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Code. He called for a precisely calibrated institutional balance and a risk-oriented approach. Tokayev warned that overregulation could push promising teams, developments, and capital to other jurisdictions. He said requirements should be strict but not excessive where safety, rights, and vital interests of citizens are affected.

Human Capital and Education

Tokayev said modern data centers and advanced technologies alone do not guarantee results, and technological breakthrough is impossible without scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. He called for the creation of a national scientific and engineering school to train educated, qualified, and innovatively thinking specialists. Tokayev assigned a special task to the recently opened Qazaq AI Research University to conduct scientific research meeting the needs of production and the economy. He said the AI+X model is being introduced to apply artificial intelligence in specific sectors such as industry, energy, medicine, finance, and public administration. Tokayev stressed that AI is not a replacement for human intellectual abilities but an auxiliary tool in learning and cognition.

International Cooperation

Tokayev emphasized that no country can fully unlock AI's potential alone and called for international knowledge exchange, joint research, investment, technological cooperation, and talent support. He said Kazakhstan consistently advocates for peaceful, safe, and responsible use of AI, and that technology should serve people and act as a catalyst for progress. Tokayev warned that technological barriers will only widen the gap between states and slow development. He said Kazakhstan's approach to international cooperation is based on respect for national interests and the principle of peaceful use of technology.