Aerial view of Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. / Photo: Shutterstock
ChatGPT imagined a scenario about the struggles of AI developers in the Kyrgyz Republic in an engaging and literary way. This is how it responded: "It was cold outside. December. In a cramped Osh apartment, the glow of a laptop screen flickered against the walls. Lines of code scrolled endlessly as a young developer tested his AI model—one that, if it worked, would finally give the Kyrgyz language a voice in the digital world. Then, the electricity cut out. Again. He leaned back with a sigh. AI was reshaping the world, but in the Kyrgyz Republic, even getting started felt like hacking through a jungle with a pocketknife."
But how close is it to reality? The authors’ analysis is based on the recently in-person and online interviews with a diverse range of AI stakeholders spanning the private sector, business associations, government institutions, and the donor community in the country. Let’s discuss what we discovered!
Source: ChatGPT
The current AI landscape in the Kyrgyz Republic
Kyrgyzstan’s AI community is growing, with government enthusiasts, an active private sector Telegram group of 1,800+ members, and academic institutions offering AI courses. The community is institutionalized as the AI Developers Association (AIDA) that promotes related education, research, and policy. While some members contribute from abroad, much of the local AI development relies on pre-built models like GPT, focusing mainly on Kyrgyz language support through NLP and machine learning, rather than groundbreaking innovation. Let’s follow the BCG “ASPIRE” methodology (see Figure below) as a checklist and see what is going on:
Ambition & Skills (A and S): The Kyrgyz Republic’s AI talent pool is small but growing, with only a few hundred specialists, mainly in applied machine learning and data analytics. While there is a AI Academy recently launched by the local development institutions that aims to bridge this gap and local universities like Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University and the University of Central Asia offer AI courses, formal AI degree programs are lacking Collaborations with institutions like Stanford and Berkeley are in early stages, with potential for more engagement with global AI firms such OpenAI and Anthropic.
Policies & Regulations (P): The government created the National Council on AI, and is working on a Digital Code that will include provisions for AI regulation. While the specifics of the Code’s implementation are still being discussed, it aims to create a legal framework for AI development while balancing innovation and control. The AIDA has developed its own AI Code of Ethics, but government adoption is still pending. It remains to be seen whether the Kyrgyz Republic will adopt a more regulation-heavy approach like the EU, a market-driven model like the US, or a state-led strategy similar to China.
Investment & Industry (I): Large businesses are beginning to experiment with AI. Mbank is one of the few organizations actively developing its own AI-powered solutions, and AI-driven applications such as customer service bots, sales automation, and B2B solutions that are gaining traction. Despite these advancements, the local AI market for business applications is still in its infancy.
Research, innovation & startups (R): Universities provide spaces for young talents, but the Kyrgyz Republic lacks fundamental research capabilities in AI and data science, with no evidence of AI-related patents and peer-reviewed publications. Technological solutions appear, but only a few firms, like Ulut Soft and Cramer Project, are developing AI products, such as Kyrgyz-language voice assistants.
Infrastructure, Data Access and Quality (E): AI thrives on data, but the Kyrgyz Republic struggles with poor data quality and restricted access to public datasets. Many government-held datasets remain closed, limiting innovation in language models for Kyrgyz, healthcare AI, frauds detection and finance. In addition, high-performance computing resources, including GPUs, are prohibitively expensive. Internet stability and electricity reliability are additional barriers.
Figure 1. The ASPIRE Methodology Framework.
The road ahead: unlocking AI’s potential in the Kyrgyz Republic
To accelerate AI development, the Kyrgyz Republic needs a strategic approach jointly led by the government (Administration of the President, Ministry of Digital Development and Innovation Technologies) and industry leaders:
Expand AI infrastructure: Similarly, as digital foundations evolve (Figure below), investments in high-performance computing and stable internet are crucial. One potential solution - A National AI Computing Center could serve as a regional hub, providing training, computing resources, and open datasets.
Improve data accessibility: Open data policies will enable AI companies to develop innovative solutions.
Foster AI talent: Strengthening AI education, regional and global partnerships will help build a skilled workforce.
Support local AI startups: Targeted incentives can boost AI applications in finance, agriculture, and healthcare, where AI-powered innovations can enhance efficiency and accessibility.
Develop AI-friendly policies: A regulatory framework that promotes self-regulation while ensuring ethical AI use is crucial.
Enhance AI-readiness of data: Prioritize investments in data preparation and documentation—particularly in ensuring high-quality metadata—to enable seamless integration into AI applications. This ensures data is not only machine-readable, but also machine-understandable, enabling more effective and trustworthy AI-driven insights.
Figure 2. Subscriber and technology trends in Kyrgyzstan.
Source: GSMA, 2023. Technology mix means percentage of total connections.
Join the conversation
AI in the Kyrgyz Republic is still emerging, but enthusiasm is growing. What are your thoughts? Share your views in the comments or join the AIDA Telegram group. Let’s shape Central Asia’s AI future together!
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