Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Artificial intelligence is gradually moving beyond experimental projects and becoming a tool for economic development, public administration and digital services.
How to turn AI’s technological capabilities into tangible economic and social impact was the central theme of the Future Intelligence Forum 2026, held on 23 September as part of ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026.
The forum brought together representatives of government agencies, international and regional organizations, technology companies, businesses, the financial sector, academia and the professional AI community. The event was organized by Huawei together with the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy Development, in cooperation with the IT Education Association and with the support of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Digital Technologies.
The format of the forum reflects a shift in the technology agenda. Until recently, the main focus was on building digital infrastructure and moving processes online. Today, the next stage is coming to the forefront: using data, computing capacity and artificial intelligence to create intelligent services and improve economic efficiency.
This transition — from digital infrastructure to an intelligent economy — was at the heart of the Future Intelligence Forum 2026 concept.
AI becomes part of the economic agenda
Opening the forum, Deputy Minister of Digital Technologies Jamol Makhsudov said the development of digital technologies remains a focus of state policy.
According to him, artificial intelligence is already creating opportunities to address practical challenges in healthcare, education, industry and other areas, while international cooperation is becoming an important factor in developing the national technology ecosystem.
The forum’s discussions therefore went far beyond individual AI tools. The broader question was what conditions are needed for artificial intelligence to become part of the country’s economic infrastructure.
As participants’ presentations showed, the answer involves several areas at once, including government strategy, regulation, data, computing resources, human capital, education, international cooperation and businesses’ ability to turn technologies into products that meet market demand.
From national strategy to practical solutions
The first forum session focused on the national agenda for the digital economy and artificial intelligence.
Government representatives, technology companies, educational institutions and experts discussed the development of a national AI ecosystem. One of the key conclusions was that large-scale AI adoption cannot be achieved by any single sector alone.
The government establishes strategic and regulatory conditions, businesses develop products and determine demand, the education system trains specialists, while technology companies provide solutions and infrastructure.
The interaction of these elements is becoming one of the key factors in the development of an AI-driven economy.
At the same time, issues of digital sovereignty, access to data and computing resources, technological competition and the development of domestic expertise are gaining importance.
For Uzbekistan, these issues are particularly relevant amid its efforts to develop a national AI ecosystem and expand the practical use of the technology.
White Paper on artificial intelligence
One of the forum’s most notable announcements was an initiative to prepare an AI White Paper for Uzbekistan.
The document is expected to combine an analysis of international experience with an assessment of national capabilities and priorities in the field of AI.
The initiative is intended to go beyond theoretical research. The White Paper is expected to systematize existing practices, identify approaches that could be applicable in Uzbekistan and develop proposals for the further development of the national artificial intelligence ecosystem.
First Deputy Minister of Digital Technologies Oleg Pekos said the country is gradually moving from establishing a strategic and institutional framework toward the practical and large-scale implementation of AI.
This transition is significant: the next stage of digitalization requires not only infrastructure but also the ability to use its capabilities effectively.
Public services: the next level of digitalization
The use of artificial intelligence in public administration was another area of discussion.
E-government has already created a substantial digital foundation for interaction between citizens, businesses and the state. AI can now become the next technological layer, helping automate processes, analyze large volumes of data, improve government services and create more personalized forms of interaction.
In this context, artificial intelligence is viewed not as a standalone technology project but as a tool for further developing the digital state.
The approach follows the forum’s broader logic: accumulated data and digital services should become the foundation for new intelligent solutions.
From SuperApp to AI
A separate session focused on the development of digital platforms and the transition “from SuperApp to AI.”
In recent years, platform models have made it possible to bring a large number of services together in a single digital environment. The next stage envisages artificial intelligence becoming not simply another available service but an intelligent layer capable of analyzing a user’s context, helping with decision-making and automating interactions with different digital products.
As a result, data that was previously viewed primarily as a resource for digital services is taking on new importance in the AI economy.
From presentations to working products
A practical component was an important feature of the Future Intelligence Forum.
Alongside strategic presentations, participants were shown local developments and real-world applications of artificial intelligence. In particular, a digital AI avatar technology was demonstrated that can be used as a virtual consultant or assistant.
Such solutions demonstrate how the logic of technological development is changing: the path from an idea to a product is becoming shorter, while artificial intelligence is gradually being integrated directly into user services.
The forum’s discussion of AI therefore went beyond what the technology is capable of doing. The focus shifted to where it can deliver measurable results.
Infrastructure: no scaling without computing capacity
At the same time, the development of practical applications is increasing the importance of infrastructure.
Large-scale AI adoption requires computing capacity, data centers, cloud platforms, modern telecommunications networks and data storage systems.
This is why artificial intelligence development is closely linked to the further development of the country’s entire digital infrastructure.
A material published ahead of the forum noted that the next stage of digital transformation involves closer integration of networks, computing capacity, cloud technologies, data and artificial intelligence.
People as the key resource
Infrastructure alone, however, cannot guarantee the development of an AI economy.
Training specialists was one of the forum’s central topics. The economy needs not only users of ready-made AI tools but also developers, engineers, analysts, researchers and specialists capable of integrating artificial intelligence into real business processes.
AI education is therefore becoming part of a broader economic strategy.
Discussions covered cooperation between universities and technology companies and businesses, the development of applied research, and the creation of conditions for training specialists who can work with technologies throughout their entire life cycle — from development to implementation and scaling.
Digital Economy Acceleration: where innovation meets regulation
The concluding substantive session was the Digital Economy Acceleration panel discussion.
Representatives of the Central Asian Artificial Intelligence Association, the Committee for Competition Development and Consumer Protection, Inha University in Tashkent, the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications, UZUM and TBC Bank discussed regulation, regional cooperation, e-commerce, financial technologies and local AI solutions.
One of the key issues was the balance between technological innovation and regulation.
As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into the economy, more questions arise concerning data, competition, accountability, standards and user protection. At the same time, an overly complex regulatory environment can make it more difficult for new solutions to emerge.
The challenge, therefore, is to establish rules that provide the necessary safeguards while allowing the technology ecosystem to develop.
Central Asia and international cooperation
The regional dimension was another focus of the discussion.
AI development is not limited to individual national initiatives. Issues involving infrastructure, standards, skills development, technology and data exchange increasingly require international cooperation.
Vladimir Norov, Chairman of the Central Asian Artificial Intelligence Association, highlighted the importance of new international mechanisms for cooperation in artificial intelligence.
For Uzbekistan, participation in such processes creates opportunities to exchange experience, attract technological expertise and develop domestic capabilities.
From digitalization to intelligent growth
The Future Intelligence Forum 2026 continued the professional dialogue launched a year earlier at the Digital Economy Forum held as part of ICT Week 2025.
Over the course of a year, however, the agenda itself has changed significantly.
Where the main question previously was how to digitalize the economy, discussions are increasingly focusing on how to use the digital foundation already created to improve productivity, the quality of public services and business competitiveness through artificial intelligence.
This is the fundamental significance of the transition from a digital economy to an economy in which intelligent technologies become part of basic infrastructure.
For Uzbekistan, the next stage will involve not only the introduction of individual AI products but also the development of an entire ecosystem, from data and computing capacity to education, regulation, local development and international cooperation.
The Future Intelligence Forum 2026 demonstrated that the discussion of artificial intelligence in Uzbekistan is gradually moving beyond the category of technological possibilities for the future and becoming part of the country’s practical economic and administrative agenda today.
