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AI and Technology Leaders Gather in Astana at the AI & Digital Bridge Forum
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AI and Technology Leaders Gather in Astana at the AI & Digital Bridge Forum

The international forum AI & Digital Bridge 2026 took place in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana. The event attracted over 150 speakers from Kazakhstan and other countries, including representatives from government bodies, academic circles, technology companies, and investment funds.

This forum is the central international event within the Artificial Intelligence Month, which is being held in Kazakhstan from September 23 to October 23 as part of the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence.

Participants in the forum included well-known entrepreneurs, executives, and investors from international technology corporations. Among them were Balaji Srinivasan, former CTO of Coinbase and founder of Network School; Erzhan Dulat, co-founder and CTO of Higgsfield AI; Rev Lebaredian, Vice President of NVIDIA for Physical AI and Simulation; David Ripley, CEO of the cryptocurrency platform Kraken; William Ford, head of General Atlantic; and Kai-Fu Lee, founder of Sinovation Ventures and 01.AI.

Also present at the forum were Sebastian Kurz, co-founder and president of Dream, former Federal Chancellor of Austria; John Hansmann, former Governor of Utah and former US Ambassador to China and Russia, as well as representatives from other international investment organizations and companies.

Kazakhstan was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiev, Kazakhtelecom Chairman Bagdat Mussin, and Freedom Holding Corp. founder Timur Tyurlov.

The central theme of the forum focuses on artificial intelligence, computing power, digital infrastructure, and financial technologies. The program also covers areas such as talent development, technological entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, satellite communications, blockchain, robotics, and the application of AI in physical systems.

A special program scheduled for October 1st includes the participation of the Head of State and international delegations; access to events on this day is by invitation only.

The forum will continue in an open format on October 2nd and 3rd, when visitors can attend thematic sessions dedicated to artificial intelligence, investments, talents, and creative industries, as well as events for representatives of the gaming industry.

The program also includes a technology exhibition, the Startup Alley platform, and the Astana Hub Battle competition.

The organizers of AI & Digital Bridge 2026 are the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, Astana Hub, and the Astana Akimat.

According to the organizers, over the years, the forum has gathered participants from more than 100 countries. The total number of event attendees exceeded 127,000 people, approximately 1,500 speakers participated, and 600 startups and 500 investors were presented.

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Concept of Kazakhstan's eGov 3.0 to be discussed at the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 forum
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uzdaily.uz

Concept of Kazakhstan's eGov 3.0 to be discussed at the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 forum

As part of the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 forum, which will take place from October 1 to 3 in Astana, a panel session titled 'eGov 3.0' will be held. This session is dedicated to the next generation of Kazakhstan's public digital services.

Forum organizers reported that participants will discuss how artificial intelligence and data can simplify and accelerate interaction between citizens, businesses, and government structures. According to the organizers, most public services in Kazakhstan are already available online, so the next stage of digitalization is not simply about moving additional services online, but about minimizing the steps users have to take independently.

The eGov 3.0 concept suggests that digital services will become more interconnected, proactive, and user-friendly, while technological processes will operate invisibly in the background. The main indicator of effectiveness for these digital public services is the amount of time and effort they save for the population and enterprises.

Rostislav Konyashkin, Deputy Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, will present the practical implementation of the next generation of digital government. Before joining the ministry, he headed the National Information Technologies of JSC.

Richard Kirby, an expert in digital government and digital transformation, will present international experience. As a Senior Interregional Advisor of the UN, he has participated in over 120 advisory missions in 34 countries and has worked with Kazakhstan, Qatar, Bahrain, and Serbia in recent years.

Shyngys Orazalimov, Acting Chairman of the Board of JSC National Information Technologies, which is directly responsible for developing the eGov infrastructure, will review the technological development of Kazakhstan's e-government.

Sandro Cirekidze, Chairman of the country's Digital Governance Agency, who took office in June 2026, will present the experience of Georgia. Georgia is developing the unified portal my.gov.ge, among the innovations of which is the 'Smart Contract' service, allowing several transactions, including real estate operations, to be completed fully remotely. Additionally, the country is working on digital identification, a virtual assistant, and the application of AI in public services.

Dauren Rakhimzhanov, Managing Director of the Digital Initiatives Directorate of the Eurasian Development Bank, will present the regional perspective. The EDB participates in digital transformation projects across the region, including the development of GovStack jointly with the International Telecommunication Union and JSC National Information Technologies, as well as projects related to artificial intelligence and cross-border digital platforms.

Rakhimzhanov will discuss areas of digitalization with the greatest potential for scaling at the regional level. Yersultan Ermanov, CEO and co-founder of the Kazakh company TrustExam.ai, will moderate the discussion.

For end-users, eGov 3.0 should mean a reduction in the number of applications, documents, movements between services, and repeated actions. According to the organizers' concept, if the government already has the necessary data, users will not have to enter it again. If a life event can be determined in advance, the service can be offered proactively. Also, according to the organizers' idea, artificial intelligence will help users find the services they need faster.

The AI & Digital Bridge 2026 forum will take place within the framework of Kazakhstan's Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. It will serve as the central international event within the Month of AI. The organizers are Astana Hub International Innovation Cluster, the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, and the Astana Akimat.

A high-level program for civil servants, international delegations, and technology industry leaders is scheduled for October 1 and is available only by invitation. On October 2–3, the forum will be open to visitors with tickets. Key speakers at the forum will include Balaji Srinivasan, founder of Network School; Erzhan Dulat, co-founder and CTO of Higgsfield AI; and Jamie Bitton, co-founder and CEO of Crimson Education. The expenses for holding the forum are covered by sponsorship funding.

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