Tokayev chairs third AI development council meeting in Astana

October 2, 2026 at 04:23 PM2 min

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President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the third meeting of the Council on Artificial Intelligence Development in Astana on October 2, 2026. The meeting focused on deep digital transformation of Kazakhstan's industrial sector. Tokayev said AI is becoming a key competitiveness factor and called for comprehensive transformation of production processes.

Key Facts

The meeting was the third session of the Council on Artificial Intelligence Development, held in Akorda under Tokayev's chairmanship.
Kazakhstan's industrial output reached about 46 trillion tenge in the first eight months of 2026, with manufacturing growing 8.4% year-on-year.
The UN Industrial Development Report 2026 identifies AI as one of five transformational megatrends reshaping the global economy.
The share of AI-related patents in total applications has roughly tripled over the past five years.
Tokayev said a comprehensive national AI ecosystem is being built under the Digital Kazakhstan strategy through 2029.

Industrial Digital Transformation

Tokayev stated that AI is rapidly becoming a key competitiveness factor in the new digital era. He cited the UN Industrial Development Report 2026, which names AI as one of five transformational megatrends changing the global economy. The president noted that competition now extends beyond natural resources, capital, and markets to the speed of production efficiency gains. He said Kazakhstan's main task is to raise labor productivity, accelerate technological modernization, and expand high-value-added output.

Economic Performance and AI Ecosystem

Tokayev reported that industrial production reached about 46 trillion tenge in the first eight months of 2026. Manufacturing output grew 8.4% compared with the same period last year. He said a comprehensive national AI ecosystem is being built under the Digital Kazakhstan strategy through 2029. The president stressed that AI's true value lies in expanding human capabilities, enabling engineers to make more precise decisions and providing real-time analytics to management.

Production Process Overhaul

Tokayev called for comprehensive transformation of production processes using AI, noting that digitalization at many enterprises remains fragmented. He said enterprises must review their entire production chains and identify where AI can deliver the greatest efficiency gains. The president stated that the main criterion should be real results.