Kazakhstan Hosts "Digital Bridge Forum 2025"
Telegram and Kazakhstan Collaborate on Supercomputer Cluster
Kazakh President Emphasizes Diversity and Inclusivity in AI
The "Alem.AI International Artificial Intelligence Center" in Astana, Kazakhstan, will soon host a newly established Telegram research lab.
Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, welcomed the Kazakh government's optimism toward AI at the "Digital Bridge Forum 2025" held in Astana on the 2nd (local time), and mentioned a collaboration between Telegram and Kazakhstan on a supercomputer cluster.
Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, delivered a congratulatory speech on the 2nd (local time) at the "Digital Bridge Forum 2025" held in Astana. Photo by Noh Kyungjo.
CEO Durov said, "Following the opening of Telegram's first regional office in Kazakhstan last year, we are now launching an artificial intelligence (AI) research lab at Alem.AI," adding, "We plan to carry out projects together."
He continued, "Telegram has been quietly developing AI-blockchain convergence technology. Through this technology, over one billion people will be able to use AI features based on a decentralized computing network transparently and efficiently." He noted that Telegram's billions of users will become the first consumers.
He also stated, "The network will be built on three core principles: transparency, efficiency, and privacy," and further explained, "Although the vision for AI is often described as a prosperous golden age, it will require significant investment and effort."
Prior to this, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan emphasized in his greeting, "It is important for citizens to understand how AI algorithm systems work, from loan execution to the provision of public services," and stressed, "AI access must be available to everyone, not just the privileged."
President Tokayev said, "Effective measures are needed to ensure that AI does not deepen social inequality or become a tool for manipulation depending on human behavior and choices," and added, "It is necessary to educate a new generation of engineers, humanitarians, and other professionals to reflect on the development of AI technology."
He further stated, "AI must promote true justice and inclusivity," and emphasized, "To ensure that AI embraces diverse social identities, traditions, and moral values, philosophers, sociologists, and legal experts should be involved in development alongside technology specialists."
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan is delivering a greeting at the "Digital Bridge Forum 2025" held on the 2nd (local time) in the capital city Astana. Photo by Noh Kyungjo
In a subsequent congratulatory address, Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China, highlighted the importance of government roles in the AI-driven future, noting, "While the United States leads the world in groundbreaking ideas, China is building the most efficient models and sharing them as open source."
Another speaker, Peter Norvig, Special Education Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, said, "What a restaurant needs is a chef who knows what customers want to eat," and suggested, "To foster talent who understand how to utilize AI and create what people want, governments should ensure privacy and security through regulation, while also supporting the free flow of open data across borders."
Meanwhile, this year's forum, now in its sixth edition, is the largest IT event in Central Asia. Kazakhstan's vision for a knowledge-based society, to be strengthened by advanced technologies and AI in the future, was encapsulated under the theme "Generative Nation."
Kazakhstan, a resource-rich country, has recently been actively pursuing an AI-based digital transformation. The government is accelerating the creation of an AI innovation ecosystem to expand AI technology and introduce AI into industries, led by its "2024-2029 AI Development Strategy."
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