Mirziyoyev Outlines Three Priority Tasks for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and outlined three key priorities deemed critical for maintaining the country’s competitiveness in this field: the development of digital infrastructure, ensuring data openness, and training qualified personnel.

Over the past eight years, Uzbekistan has laid 300,000 kilometers of fiber-optic lines, bringing mobile coverage to 99% of settlements. The country has also established seven data centers for storing and processing large volumes of data.

In 2026, the launch of 100 AI-based projects is planned across sectors such as healthcare, energy, banking and finance, tax and customs authorities, transport, mining, and agriculture. Implementing these projects requires modern supercomputers with high computational capacity. Currently, businesses are forced to spend millions of dollars on foreign infrastructure.

In 2025, US$50 million was allocated for the purchase of computing clusters, and in 2026 this amount is planned to increase to US$100 million. President Mirziyoyev emphasized, however, that it is impossible to fully meet the demand for equipment solely through government funding.

He called for creating favorable conditions for investment in digital infrastructure and the construction of supercomputing clusters. Since up to 70% of data center expenses go toward electricity, investors are offered preferential rates. For example, in Karakalpakstan, digital infrastructure facilities valued at over US$100 million will receive electricity at a rate of 5 cents per kilowatt-hour. Additionally, they will be able to benefit from IT Park resident privileges, including exemption from customs duties on imported equipment.