Kazakhstan is moving toward a new model of regional development in which artificial intelligence, integrated data systems and digital infrastructure become central to the way cities and regions are managed. The country’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development has approved an updated methodology for building Smart Cities and Smart Regions, establishing common standards for the digital transformation of territories. The approach represents a shift from isolated digital projects toward interconnected systems capable of supporting planning, monitoring, forecasting and decision-making. Rather than treating technology as a collection of separate services, Kazakhstan is working toward what the methodology describes as AI-native cities and regions, where digital technologies are embedded into everyday governance.

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From Digital Projects to Intelligent Regions The new methodology establishes common architectural and functional principles for regional digitalisation. This is intended to ensure that systems developed by different public bodies can exchange information, work together and avoid unnecessary duplication. The framework covers six broad areas of smart-region development, including security, the social sphere, transport and logistics, housing and utilities, environmental management, and city and regional governance. This standardisation is important as Kazakhstan’s regions continue to introduce their own digital initiatives. A unified architecture can make it easier to replicate successful solutions in other territories while reducing the costs associated with developing and maintaining disconnected platforms.

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The methodology also expands the range of digital priorities. Alongside established areas such as transport, utilities and public safety, regional administrations are expected to consider technologies for monitoring prices of socially important goods, improving internet access in educational institutions, supporting unmanned aerial systems and developing digital infrastructure for structures with dual-use functions. Digitalisation is also being extended to local representative bodies, regional IT hubs and district-level IT centres. Smart public transport stops, digital museums and libraries, virtual and 3D tours, and technologies for monitoring road quality form part of the broader smart-region ecosystem.

Artificial Intelligence Moves Into Public Administration

One of the most significant elements of the new model is the growing role of artificial intelligence in regional management. The methodology envisages regional analytical centres, data lakes and intelligent digital services that can help authorities process information from multiple sources. Instead of relying primarily on historical reports, administrations can increasingly use continuously updated data to identify emerging trends and potential problems. This creates the possibility of moving from reactive governance toward predictive management. For example, data from transport networks, utilities, environmental monitoring and public services could be analysed together to identify pressure points before they develop into larger problems.

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The success of this approach, however, will depend not only on the availability of AI tools but also on the quality, accessibility and security of the underlying data. Kazakhstan has already been developing the digital infrastructure needed for this transition. Its National Artificial Intelligence Platform is intended to provide centralised infrastructure for government bodies using generative AI, data analysis and automated processes.

QazTech Creates a Common Digital Foundation

The regional smart-city programme is being reinforced by a broader effort to standardise government IT infrastructure. The QazTech platform is designed to provide common standards throughout the lifecycle of state information systems, covering development, management and security. Kazakhstan has also introduced restrictions on the creation of new state information systems outside the QazTech environment, supporting a more unified architecture for government digitalisation. The objective is to reduce duplication and create greater interoperability between government systems. This becomes particularly important as AI applications require access to reliable information from multiple government databases. A common technological environment can also make it easier to introduce new digital services nationwide rather than developing separate solutions for individual ministries or regions.

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Data Becomes a Core Government Asset

The development of regional data lakes and analytical centres points to a broader change in the role of data within Kazakhstan’s public sector. Under the emerging model, data is not simply information stored by individual government agencies. It becomes an infrastructure layer that can support planning, service delivery and policy decisions. The same principle is being applied in other sectors. Kazakhstan’s agricultural digitalisation programme, for example, is moving toward a unified e-Agriculture ecosystem designed to support data-based management, reduce administrative burdens and create conditions for the application of AI. The digital transformation roadmap covers 144 agricultural business processes. Education is following a similar direction. The government is working to consolidate electronic learning systems into a centralised database on the QazTech cloud platform, with the aim of improving data exchange between educational institutions and reducing fragmentation between different learning-management systems. Together, these initiatives indicate that Kazakhstan’s AI strategy is being built around a wider transformation of the state’s information architecture.

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Digital Services Become More Integrated

The transformation is also visible in the way citizens and businesses interact with government. Kazakhstan’s e-government ecosystem already provides a broad range of online services, while newer initiatives are introducing more intelligent forms of interaction. The National Artificial Intelligence Platform is being developed as part of the country’s wider effort to integrate generative AI into public administration. The digitalisation of legal and administrative services is another part of this process. The E-Notary system allows citizens to access selected notarial services remotely, including digital powers of attorney and online consultations. Such services demonstrate how digital transformation can move beyond infrastructure and become part of routine interactions between citizens, businesses and public institutions.

Smart Development for New Urban Projects

Unified digital standards are particularly relevant to new urban development projects, where digital infrastructure can be incorporated from the planning stage rather than added later. Projects such as Alatau City provide an opportunity to apply principles of integrated data exchange, intelligent infrastructure and digital public services as part of the initial urban design. This approach can help cities coordinate transport, utilities, public safety, environmental monitoring and citizen services through interconnected platforms. It also creates opportunities to use digital twins, sensors and AI-based analytics to understand how urban systems perform over time. Kazakhstan’s regional authorities are already implementing the smart-city methodology. Kyzylorda Region, for example, has adopted a smart-city strategy for its regional development and is implementing projects across the methodology’s priority areas.

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Building the Computing Power for AI

Advanced AI applications require more than data. They also require substantial computing capacity, reliable energy and modern data centres. Kazakhstan is therefore developing large-scale digital infrastructure alongside its government AI agenda. A major initiative is the Data Center Valley project in Ekibastuz, which is being developed with international technology partners including Firebird and NVIDIA. The project is designed for phased expansion, with 300 MW of capacity already available and a planned expansion to as much as 1 GW. Government announcements also describe a planned investment package of around $10 billion and a computing cluster using advanced GPU technology. This infrastructure could give Kazakhstan the capacity to support increasingly demanding AI workloads, while creating a foundation for regional digital services, research and commercial applications. The country’s ambitions extend beyond domestic requirements. The government views large-scale computing infrastructure as an opportunity to position Kazakhstan as a digital hub connecting Central Asia and wider Eurasian markets.

From Smart Cities to a Digital Economy

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Kazakhstan’s Smart City and Smart Region methodology forms part of a broader national transformation in which AI is increasingly being treated as an economic and governance technology rather than simply an emerging technological field. The government has also promoted Digital Qazaqstan as a national platform for practical digital and AI transformation, with regional development among its priorities. The long-term objective is therefore larger than simply installing smart cameras, connected transport systems or digital public services. Kazakhstan is attempting to create an integrated digital environment in which data flows between systems, AI supports analysis and decision-making, and computing infrastructure provides the capacity required to operate these technologies at scale.

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For regional administrations, the transition could improve the ability to monitor infrastructure, anticipate problems and allocate resources more efficiently. For citizens, its value will ultimately be measured through more accessible services, better urban environments and faster government responses. The challenge will be ensuring that digital systems remain interoperable, secure and transparent while regional administrations develop the skills needed to use AI effectively. If those conditions are met, Kazakhstan’s new Smart City and Smart Region model could become an important foundation for a more data-driven form of regional governance and strengthen the country’s ambition to emerge as a leading digital and AI hub in Eurasia.