Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan intends to secure access to both American and Chinese artificial intelligence technologies while simultaneously developing its domestic AI infrastructure, according to Bobur Khodjaev, head of the Department for Financial Technologies, Digitalization, and Artificial Intelligence at the Presidential Administration. Speaking at the Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum in Tashkent on 24 August 2026, Khodjaev outlined the country's strategic position regarding technological sovereignty and international partnerships.
Addressing a query on choosing between US and Chinese solutions, Khodjaev stated that as a developing nation, Uzbekistan seeks access to all available technologies. He noted that US tech firms provide leading AI chips and proprietary models, whereas Chinese developers offer open-weight models that are substantially cheaper, making both options valuable for the country.
Alongside international cooperation, Uzbekistan is expanding its sovereign technical capabilities. The digital government data center commissioned its first major supercomputer in July, with plans to triple its processing power over the next 12 months. The country is also developing domain-specific AI models for education, healthcare, public services, and finance.
Additionally, Uzbekistan is encouraging foreign investment in digital infrastructure, supported by tax incentives and special electricity tariffs introduced last year for data centers in Karakalpakstan. Khodjaev noted that a significant pool of investors has emerged for these projects. He added that the upcoming Enterprise Uzbekistan special zone will offer common-law legal frameworks and tax incentives to international technology firms.
