President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the Alem.ai International Centre for Artificial Intelligence. During his working visit, he discussed key projects in technology and innovation, and also took part in launching initiatives to promote the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in Kazakhstan.
LAUNCH OF THE ASTANA SMART CITY PROJECT
During the visit, the Astana Smart City project was launched, aimed at improving the efficiency of urban management and integrating AI technologies into everyday life.
As part of the presentation, Thomas Pramotedham, Chief Executive Officer of Presight, demonstrated a unified AI platform that allows for real-time integration of city data and systems.
EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES IN AI
During the visit, President Tokayev also launched the expansion of the Tomorrow School network across 14 regions of Kazakhstan. This school, which has been operating since 2024 at the Astana Hub, provides free training for citizens aged 18 and over.
Furthermore, the President was presented with the educational platform, the TUMO Astana Centre for Creative Technologies, aimed at teenagers aged 12 to 18.
PRESENTATION OF THE AI RESEARCH UNIVERSITY
During the visit, the concept of the AI Research University was also presented, a research university that will be based at the Alem.ai centre.
According to Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, the university will provide students with access to the national artificial intelligence infrastructure, including the alem.cloud and AlemLLM platforms, as well as the resources of Astana Hub. Teaching at the university is scheduled to begin on 1 September 2026.
INNOVATION IN THE FINANCIAL SECTOR
The President was also shown the use of the domestic CryptoPay system for making Kazakhstan's first cryptocurrency payment. The service allows users to pay for goods and services with cryptocurrency, converting it into the national currency.
The project is presented as part of the development of the digital economy and the introduction of new financial technologies in Kazakhstan.