ASTANA – Kazakhstan has a real opportunity to move beyond being a user of technology to becoming an exporter of digital services and AI-enabled solutions. This aligns with the World Bank Group’s focus on scaling implementation, working with countries to develop solutions that can be replicated across sectors and adapted to different contexts, Sangbu Kim, the Vice President for Digital and AI at the World Bank Group, said in an interview for this story.
Vice President for Digital and AI at the World Bank Group Sangbu Kim and Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov during the June 15 meeting in Astana. Photo credit: Prime Minister’s Press Office.
As part of his visit to Kazakhstan, Sangbu Kim met on June 15 with Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov to discuss partnership in digitalization, AI, GovTech and telecommunications infrastructure development.
It should be noted that Kazakhstan is in the group A of the GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI), which measures the state of four GovTech focus areas worldwide using key indicators to inform operations, research and analytics.
Kazakhstan and the World Bank are implementing joint projects to develop human capital in AI and accelerate digitalization for an inclusive economy.
Against this backdrop, Kim said Kazakhstan is already seeing “impressive progress” in many areas, including digital government and innovation, which provides a strong base to build on. For example, the Digital Family Card uses digital tools to help families access government support more easily and efficiently, an approach that could offer lessons for other countries pursuing digital transformation.
“Kazakhstan’s ambition to position itself as a regional hub also offers opportunities to attract investment and develop solutions that can be adapted, scaled and deployed beyond the country’s borders. The next step is to translate this progress into a more competitive digital economy—one that generates services, products, and expertise for the region and beyond, while also supporting jobs and productivity growth at home,” he said.
Digital technologies are enablers that can also transform other sectors – from education and health to agriculture, energy and public services.
“Realizing this opportunity depends on getting the fundamentals right,” Kim explained. “This means having strong digital infrastructure, skilled talent, reliable data systems, effective institutions, and a predictable investment environment.”
The country’s focus on becoming a regional leader in digital transformation, including through its Digital Qazaqstan Strategy, creates strong opportunities for World Bank Group engagement across a few priority areas.
“This ambition aligns closely with the World Bank Group’s Digital and AI strategy and implementation plan, which is focused on helping countries harness digital technologies and AI to expand opportunities, improve service delivery and support jobs. The implementation plan is built around ten scalable and replicable solutions that can be adapted across countries, from affordable and reliable connectivity and digital public infrastructure to skills and AI readiness. Many of these priorities are relevant to Kazakhstan as it enters its next phase of digital transformation,” he said.
A key focus is digital infrastructure and connectivity, building on the ongoing Digital Acceleration for an Inclusive Economy (DARE) project to expand access, improve service quality, and help mobilize private investment. This initiative aims to provide high-quality, resilient broadband access to selected underserved regions, benefiting over one million people in rural areas.
Another priority is AI readiness and enabling systems, digital skills, trusted data governance, institutional capacity, and responsible AI adoption.
“We also see significant potential in digital and AI infrastructure, including Kazakhstan’s Data Center Valley initiative and efforts to attract global technology investors. Here, the World Bank Group can help assess market opportunities and sustainable energy options, strengthen connectivity, and support private capital mobilization through WBG instruments,” Kim added.
The World Bank Group also sees opportunities to support the broader digital ecosystem—innovation, startups, and digital public services—to help strengthen productivity and economic diversification.
As Kazakhstan has made strong progress in digital government, connectivity, and building an innovation ecosystem, the next stage is less about launching new initiatives and more about deepening the foundations—reliable and affordable connectivity, high-quality data and content, strong institutions and governance to build trust, and continued investment in digital skills.
“The greatest untapped potential lies in scaling these foundations consistently across the economy so digital and AI tools translate into higher productivity and more diverse economic opportunities. The World Bank Group supports this by helping strengthen infrastructure, skills, and the enabling environment for inclusive digital growth, alongside private sector partnerships to facilitate foreign direct investment and accelerate scale,” Kim said.
Kim noted that policymakers may be underestimating the rapid emergence of smaller, more specialized AI models. “Much of the attention has focused on the largest AI systems, but increasingly we are seeing AI solutions, known as small AI, that require less computing power, can be adapted to local languages and contexts, and can be deployed to address specific challenges in sectors such as healthcare, education, or public services. This has the potential to make AI far more accessible and relevant to emerging economies.”
