Uzbekistan Aims to Enter the Top 50 Countries in Artificial Intelligence By 2030​​​​​​​

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A videoconference meeting on the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies was held under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

“Today, humanity boldly enters a new phase of civilization — the era of artificial intelligence. These technologies penetrate deeply into all spheres — from the economy to education, healthcare, agriculture, and governance systems. In any field, those who work diligently, achieve tangible results, and outpace others will be first,” the President emphasized.

At the beginning of the year, forecasts estimated that by 2030, the global economy associated with AI would reach US$15 trillion; however, current analytical data indicate that this figure will exceed US$20 trillion.

Uzbekistan has also adopted a special decree on AI development and established a legal framework for the sector. In a short period, over 30 pilot projects were launched in areas such as public services, banking and finance, public safety, and transportation.

Last year, the country approved its AI development strategy through 2030. The Ministry of Digital Technologies has established a specialized center to work on AI initiatives.

In just one year, Uzbekistan rose 17 positions in the international AI readiness index, ranking 70th globally and first in Central Asia. Initially, it was planned that AI-based services would generate US$1.5 billion by 2030; however, foreign experts estimate Uzbekistan’s potential at US$10 billion.

To achieve this, the Ministry of Digital Technologies needs to intensify its efforts, while ministers, regional governors (hokims), and industry leaders should dedicate one day per week to the development of AI.

“All ministers and hokims, when visiting foreign countries, see how artificial intelligence contributes to the development of economic sectors, and how it eases life for the population and business. Can we do the same at home? Certainly, we can,” the President stressed.

For example, in various sectors, enterprises have digitalized business processes, reducing costs by up to 10 percent. With AI implementation, efficiency will increase even further.

The Ministry of Justice and tax authorities have launched a 24/7 online consultation system using AI. The Customs Committee implemented an AI-based risk management system. In geology, a video analysis system using AI has been created, and a project is being prepared to increase metal extraction by 1–2 percent, which from copper production alone will generate an additional US$20 million per year.

At the meeting, it was noted that there are also successful examples of artificial intelligence implementation in the regions.

In the city of Urgench, a “Smart City” system based on AI technologies has been launched. A situational center has been created, integrating unified systems for electricity, gas, and water supply, heating, management and service companies, transport, roads, urban development, and waste collection enterprises.

All requests received in each area are analyzed using artificial intelligence, enabling the provision of comprehensive solutions in real time. Thanks to this system, approximately 16 billion soums are saved annually.

All regional and district governors (hokims) have been tasked with studying Urgench’s experience and implementing similar systems in their own regions by the end of the year. Heads of other ministries and agencies have also been given specific tasks to deeply engage with AI and leverage its capabilities to improve efficiency.

From now on, deputy ministers and sector heads responsible for digitalization will also be responsible for AI development in their areas. In cities and districts, a new position of advisor to the hokim on digitalization and AI is being introduced.

All ministries and regional administrations have been instructed to establish dedicated AI units within their structures and to set specific objectives for these units — primarily to enhance operational efficiency, improve service quality, and reduce excessive costs, the shadow economy, and bureaucracy using AI.

One hundred highly qualified specialists with foreign language proficiency and strong technological knowledge will be sent for six-month courses in the United States, Europe, Singapore, and Japan.

Starting next year, a rating system will be launched to assess the implementation of AI across ministries and regions.

The President emphasized that in today’s era of rising global demand for AI, competitiveness requires focus on three key areas: infrastructure, open data, and workforce development.

Over the past eight years, 300,000 kilometers of fiber-optic lines have been installed, providing mobile coverage to 99 percent of settlements. Seven data centers have been launched to store and process large volumes of data.

Next year, 100 AI projects are planned in healthcare, energy, banking and finance, customs and taxation, transport, mining and metallurgy, and agriculture. To implement these projects, sufficient computing power and modern supercomputers are required; however, current resources are only adequate for small-scale initiatives.

As a result, entrepreneurs currently rely on foreign infrastructure for their projects, spending millions of dollars. Accordingly, US$50 million has been allocated this year to acquire 16 supercomputers, with the amount expected to double next year.

“The key point is that the growing demand for AI infrastructure in industries and regions cannot be fully met with state funding alone,” the President noted.

Within the framework of the second phase of the IT Park project, a 12-megawatt data center has been launched today, with US$150 million in investment from the Saudi company Data Volt. In the next phase, its capacity will be expanded to 500 megawatts with an additional US$3 billion in investment.

It was emphasized that more attractive conditions for investors need to be created and the number of modern supercomputer clusters and data centers increased. Since about 70 percent of such centers’ costs go toward electricity, investors raised the issue of favorable electricity tariffs. Work in this area will begin in Karakalpakstan: investors who contribute over US$100 million to AI infrastructure will receive electricity at 5 cents per kilowatt-hour, benefit from IT Park incentives, and be exempt from customs duties on imported equipment.

“This will allow a major leap in the industry while also making a significant contribution to the economic development of Karakalpakstan,” the head of state emphasized.

In addition, to provide high-speed internet to remote regions, satellite internet operators will be launched next year. These operators will be exempt from land, property, corporate income taxes, and VAT for a period of five years.

In recent years, ministries and agencies have carried out significant work on the digitalization of processes and data. The “Digital Government” platform has enabled data exchange between government bodies without human intervention. Startups are allowed to integrate their software products into the platform and utilize the data contained within it.

However, it was emphasized that this is insufficient for the rapid development of AI. Data in ministries and agencies is stored on different servers in various formats, which slows down operations.

Therefore, by the end of this year, 55 departmental databases are to be transferred to the unified “Electronic Government” data center, with all remaining databases to follow next year. From that point on, storing data on individual departmental servers will be prohibited.

Today marks the 36th anniversary of the Uzbek language being granted the status of the state language. The President congratulated the people of Uzbekistan on this occasion and stressed: “Know that for AI programs to function effectively, they must first and foremost have a perfect understanding of the Uzbek language.”

At the same time, most Uzbek literary works, data, articles, reports, and scientific studies remain undigitized, and those that are available in digital form are stored across various sources.

The Cabinet of Ministers has been tasked with approving a schedule for converting all data from ministries and agencies into digital format, while the Ministry of Digital Technologies is to create a “Corpus of the Uzbek Language” so that AI can accurately reflect national culture and values.

By the end of 2026, the goal is to consolidate large digital datasets in a single location and launch a “Data Lake” platform to process, analyze, and utilize the information.

“The development of artificial intelligence depends not only on modern infrastructure and algorithms but also on qualified personnel. The foundation of this sector is mathematics and computer science. Therefore, the training of specialists must start at the school level,” the President noted.

Starting next academic year, AI topics will be included in the school curriculum for the subject of Computer Science. A special textbook will be developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

At New Uzbekistan University, 100 AI trainer-teachers will be trained this year, and 1,300 next year. They will, in turn, train school and university computer science teachers in a cascading manner. Each year, the top 100 computer science teachers, along with experienced specialists from ministries and agencies, will be sent abroad for advanced training in countries with developed AI sectors.

As a logical continuation of the “One Million Uzbek Developers” project, the “One Million AI Leaders” initiative has been launched. This year, 100,000 young specialists are expected to be trained, and at least 500,000 next year.

Special attention is being given to engaging schoolchildren. From this year onward, an annual national AI competition will be held, with top students, their mentors, and educational institutions receiving significant recognition. Prizes include laptops for 500 students, US$1,000 for 100 teachers, and electric cars for two educational institutions.

The President also noted the absence of AI laboratories in universities, which currently graduate approximately 2,000 specialists annually for the industry.

Before the start of the next academic year, it is planned to equip ten universities with modern laboratories. Additionally, an initiative has been approved to establish one laboratory per university within banks, totaling nine such laboratories.

At New Uzbekistan University, an “Artificial Intelligence Cluster” will be created based on the principle “industry — university — partner.” Starting next academic year, a joint educational program on AI will be implemented in collaboration with universities included in the “TOP-300.”

Grant quotas in universities for programs in artificial intelligence, fintech, cybersecurity, IT engineering, aerospace, and cloud technologies will be increased by 35 percent. To boost student interest in AI, national competitions among university teams will be organized.

Since the beginning of the year, a favorable ecosystem for local startups has been established, attracting a record investment of US$264 million. However, the share of startups in the AI sector remains relatively small.

To increase the number of AI startups, a “Best AI Startup” competition is proposed, with a prize fund of US$1 million.

“Our goal is to enter the top 50 countries in artificial intelligence by 2030. Based on leading international experience, we are creating an ‘Artificial Intelligence Alliance,’” emphasized the President.

The alliance will include leading industry companies, foreign experts, Uzbek professionals, major state enterprises, banks, and universities. Its main objectives are to strengthen cooperation with leading international research centers and accelerators, produce media content on its own programs, organize international PR campaigns, and support the participation of local companies and specialists in international exhibitions, forums, and conferences.

During the meeting, regional and sectoral leaders presented reports, and the opinions of startup founders and computer science teachers were heard.