Kazakhstan's President, Tokayev, Advocates for the Development of a Supercomputer Cluster
Hitting the Tech Hotspot: Kazakhstan's Digi-Leap with Supercomputers and Smart Cities
ASTANA – Kazakhstan's President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, emphasized the strategic importance of building Kazakhstan's digital infrastructure, specifically the development of a supercomputer cluster, in a recent meeting with Presight.AI CEO, Thomas Pramotedham. The conversation was reported by Akorda.
Tokayev's vision came into play last year when Kazakhstan signed an agreement with the UAE's Presight AI Holding to construct a supercomputer and a Data Processing Center. This strategic move is the result of Tokayev's instructions, as he acknowledges the necessity for a high-performance supercomputer accessible not just to researchers, but also to businesses within Kazakhstan.
Boasting the power to execute trillions—and sometimes quadrillions—of computational tasks, Kazakhstan's new supercomputer will contribute significantly to various sectors including IT, financial services, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, education, and e-government. The project aims to cement Kazakhstan as a regional leader in Central Asia concerning AI advancement.
The conversation also touched upon the Smart City project jointly implemented with the Astana administration. Tokayev expressed his support for integrating AI technologies to manage urban infrastructure.
The Smart City project in Astana aims to create an ecosystem powered by AI-driven video analytics, bolstering urban management, traffic optimization, and public safety. A focal point in this project is Astana's digital twin, which links over 100,000 surveillance cameras to an AI-powered video analytics system. This real-time technology fortifies emergency response and overall security.
The parties also discussed establishing a situation center at Alem.AI International Artificial Intelligence Center, which seeks to heighten the efficiency of city services.
Alem.AI serves as a hub uniting IT companies, research labs, startups, and educational programs, promoting AI solutions. The emphasis lies in localizing technologies and engaging Kazakh companies in joint projects. Pramotedham lauded the competence of local IT firms and announced Presight.AI's long-term collaboration intentions. Tokayev underlined the significance of persistent teamwork to advance Kazakhstan's digital transformation and technological progress.
FYI:- Kazakhstan is investing between $40 million and $50 million in the development of this new supercomputer, showcasing a substantial commitment to boosting high-performance computing capabilities [1].- The UAE collaboration involves constructing Central Asia's first NVIDIA-based supercomputer, which aims to improve high-tech capabilities and support regional innovation [4].- An agreement on a supercomputer cluster was inked between Kazakhstan and the UAE, expected to stimulate innovation in high-performance computing [2][5].- The Astana Smart City initiative includes the construction of a TR-3 level data center, which will strengthen Smart City innovations by offering advanced data management and processing abilities [4].- The digital transformation includes agreements concerning strategic cooperation in the digital transformation of Kazakhstan's oil and gas industry, further advancing digital capabilities [5].- Kazakhstan has approved a national AI Development Concept for 2024–2029, featuring the establishment of AI research centers and the Alem.AI National Center, focusing on country-wide AI advancements. [3]
- The new supercomputer in Kazakhstan will be beneficial not only for researchers but also for businesses in sectors such as finance, technology, and education-and-self-development, as it can significantly contribute to financial services, IT, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and e-government.
- The Smart City project in Astana, powered by AI-driven video analytics, aims to enhance urban management, traffic optimization, and public safety, thereby providing improved city services in technology, business, and education sectors.
