Columbia University in New York presented a study by the MIT Kuo Sharper Center assessing the readiness of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Azerbaijan for the development of artificial intelligence. The authors note significant progress in the region over the past three years; however, technological ambitions still outpace infrastructural capabilities. Key challenges include a shortage of graphics processing units (GPUs), dependence on foreign cloud platforms, and the need for a reliable power supply. At the same time, three supercomputers featured in the global TOP500 ranking are already operating in the region.

In 2021–2025, the five countries published 4,278 scientific papers on AI, and the annual volume of research grew more than fivefold. Uzbekistan became the leader: the number of publications increased from 26 in 2021 to 861 in 2025. This is more than Kazakhstan’s 579 papers. The two countries account for 82% of the region’s scientific publications. In addition, Uzbekistan accounts for 3.4 million of the 4.7 million Coursera users across the five states.

A survey of 650 startups and 103 large companies revealed a noticeable gap in technology adoption. About 80% of startups consider themselves AI companies, but 84% experience a shortage of GPUs. Among large enterprises, 68% are currently limited to exploring technologies or pilot projects, while only 3% have made AI the core of their business. Uzbekistan also plans to triple the capacity of its national supercomputer by 2027.