BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 14. As part of the
Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Kazakhstan,
AI MONTH 2026 kicks off on September 23, presenting a large-scale
program of events in artificial intelligence and digital
technologies. The initiative will unite the tech community,
business sector, academia, startups, international experts, and
regional initiatives across the country.
The central event of AI MONTH will be the international tech
forum AI & Digital Bridge 2026, which will take place on
October 1–3 in Astana.
In 2026, AI Week transformed into AI MONTH: the number of
artificial intelligence initiatives has grown significantly, while
the tech agenda expands across more industries, audiences, and
regions nationwide. The new format brings these initiatives
together into a unified program, showcasing the development of
Kazakhstan's AI ecosystem on a national scale.
On September 23, AI MONTH will kick off with HackAlem AI powered
by OpenAI, one of the world's largest hackathons focused on
developing AI solutions. Teams of up to three members will build
agentic AI solutions for 10 key sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy,
with the mandatory use of Codex and OpenAI APIs.
The total value of prizes and technical resources for HackAlem
AI stands at $1.1 million. This package includes a cash prize pool,
API tokens, and OpenAI technical infrastructure, allowing
participants to develop and launch their own AI solutions.
The winners of HackAlem AI will be awarded on the main stage of
the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 International Technology Forum. The
hackathon will bring together developers, students, young
professionals, startups, and IT enthusiasts, offering participants
the opportunity to turn an idea into a functional AI solution in a
short period.
On September 29–30, Astana will host KazHackStan, Central Asia's
largest international cybersecurity conference. Over 100 regional
and international speakers will address DevSecOps, OSINT, data
protection, malware analysis, and emerging cyber threats linked to
artificial intelligence.
During the same days, Astana will host a C5+1
international platform dedicated to AI cooperation between
Central Asian nations and the United States. Representatives from
governments, international organizations, and the tech community
will discuss AI regulation, infrastructure development, talent
cultivation, and stronger international tech partnerships.
The investment agenda will continue with the LP Summit, the
first summit in Eurasia for LPs and VC investors. It will unite
institutional investors, venture capital and sovereign wealth
funds, corporations, and family offices to discuss the development
of the venture ecosystem and new investment opportunities.
A dedicated stream of AI MONTH will focus on healthcare
technologies. At AI and MedTech Day, experts, physicians,
developers, and startups will discuss the application of artificial
intelligence in diagnostics and healthcare management, while
collaborating on new MedTech solutions.
One of the most captivating tech components will be the Unitree
Humanoid Robotics Hackathon. Teams will program actual Unitree G1
humanoid robots provided by the organizers, solving real-world
challenges directly on hardware without simulators.
Technology will also extend beyond the traditional IT agenda.
From October 1 to 3, Astana will host the Astana AI Film Festival,
an international festival showcasing an emerging movement in cinema
where artificial intelligence serves as a full-fledged filmmaking
tool. The program features AI-generated films, public screenings,
panel discussions, and workshops exploring how technology is
reshaping directing, visual style, storytelling, character design,
special effects, and voice acting.
The program also includes the FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST
LEGO League international robotics competitions, a UNICEF strategic
foresight session on the impact of AI on the future of children and
youth, corporate technology events, and other specialized
formats.
Eurasia’s premier tech forum and one of the global IT
industry's landmark events — AI & Digital Bridge 2026.
The forum will bring together executives from leading technology
companies, global business founders, scientists, investors,
entrepreneurs, startups, and representatives of international
organizations. The program focuses on artificial intelligence, tech
entrepreneurship, investments, human capital development, and new
opportunities in the digital economy.
Tickets for the open program on October 2–3 are already
available on the official forum website at https://digitalbridge.ai/.
On October 1, a special high-level program will take place,
featuring heads of state, international delegations, and tech
industry leaders. Participation in this session is by invitation
only.
On October 2 and 3, AI & Digital Bridge 2026 will present its
open program for forum attendees, bringing together representatives
from global tech companies, international experts, entrepreneurs,
startups, and investors under one roof.
Among the confirmed speakers and participants for AI & Digital
Bridge 2026 are Rev Lebaredian, Vice President of NVIDIA; Balaji
Srinivasan, Founder of Network School; Kai-Fu Lee, Founder of
Sinovation Ventures and 01.AI; Greg Wyler, Founder and CEO of
E-Space; William Ford, Chairman and CEO of General Atlantic;
Sebastian Kurz, Co-founder and President of Dream; Richard
Stirling, Co-founder and CEO of Oxford Insights; Eleanor Olcott,
Financial Times Correspondent; Yerzat Dulat, Co-founder and CTO of
Higgsfield AI; Jamie Beaton, Founder of Crimson Education; Murat
Abdrakhmanov, Founder of MA7 Ventures; Bagdat Mussin, Chairman of
the Board of Kazakhtelecom JSC; Ramil Mukhoryapov, Co-founder of
Choco Holding; and other leading figures from the global technology
and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
AI & Digital Bridge 2026 will serve as the premier platform for
international tech dialogue, highlighting Kazakhstan's growth as a
Eurasian AI hub—a destination for technology, talent,
entrepreneurs, and investment.
AI MONTH extends far beyond Astana. Throughout the month,
artificial intelligence and digital technology events will take
place in regional tech hubs across Kazakhstan.
The lineup features workshops, bootcamps, hackathons, career
meetups, pitch sessions, and startup battles. The events are open
to students, educators, developers, entrepreneurs, startup teams,
and professionals eager to learn and apply artificial intelligence
in practice.
The regional program will engage participants from across the
country in the tech agenda, enabling them to gain new skills,
develop their own solutions, and present promising projects to the
professional community.
Schedules, venues, and registration details for all regional
events are available on the Astana Hub platform.
The month-long program will conclude with the Grand Final of
alem.ai Battle, an AI competition organized by Astana Hub—an
international innovation cluster dedicated to advancing tech
entrepreneurship and the IT industry in Kazakhstan.
The final will bring together the strongest teams and young
talent from Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Participants will showcase
their developments across four categories, making the finale a
premier platform for presenting promising AI solutions.
In this way, AI MONTH brings the entire AI development lifecycle
into a single program, spanning education, talent cultivation, and
product development to tech entrepreneurship, venture capital
attraction, and international collaboration.
This month-long format captures the scope of the transformation
taking place across the country, demonstrating that the AI agenda
is advancing not only through landmark international events, but
also across regional tech hubs, academic institutions, startups,
and enterprise businesses.
AI & Digital Bridge 2026 will serve as the centerpiece
international platform of AI MONTH, showcasing Kazakhstan's role as
an emerging Eurasian center for artificial intelligence and digital
technology development.
AI & Digital Bridge 2026 is organized by the Ministry of
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of
Kazakhstan, Astana Hub, and the Astana City Akimat.
AI MONTH brings together partners supporting the development of
artificial intelligence, tech initiatives, and Kazakhstan's AI
ecosystem. The Gold Partners of AI MONTH are Freedom Bank,
Kaspi.kz, and Samruk-Kazyna JSC. The Silver Partner is Halyk Bank.
The Transformation Partner is Beeline Kazakhstan. The Official
Partner of HackAlem AI is Firebird AI KZ Ltd.
