Translated with AI
author: Eleonora Asanova
As part of the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Kazakhstan, AI MONTH 2026, a large-scale program of events in the field of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, will launch on September 23. It will bring together the tech community, businesses, education, startups, international experts, and regional initiatives across the country.
The central event of AI MONTH will be the international technology forum AI & Digital Bridge 2026, which will take place October 1-3 in Astana. In 2026, AI Week transformed into AI MONTH: the number of artificial intelligence initiatives has grown significantly, and the technology agenda covers a growing number of industries, audiences, and regions of the country. The new format will unite these initiatives into a single program and present the development of Kazakhstan's AI ecosystem on a national scale.
On September 23, AI MONTH will open HackAlem AI powered by OpenAI—one of the world's largest AI hackathons. Teams of up to three people will create agent-based AI solutions for 10 key sectors of the Kazakh economy, using the Codex and OpenAI API.
The total prize pool and technological resources for HackAlem AI will be $1.1 million. This includes a cash prize pool, API tokens, and OpenAI technological resources, which participants will be able to use to develop and launch their own AI solutions.
The winners of HackAlem AI will be awarded on the main stage of the international technology forum AI & Digital Bridge 2026. The hackathon will bring together developers, students, young professionals, startups, and IT enthusiasts, giving participants the opportunity to quickly move from an idea to a working AI solution.
On September 29–30, Astana will host KazHackStan, the largest international cybersecurity conference in Central Asia. Over 100 regional and international speakers will discuss DevSecOps, OSINT, data protection, malware analysis, and new cyberthreat vectors associated with the development of artificial intelligence.
During these same days, the C5+1 international platform will be held, dedicated to cooperation between Central Asian countries and the United States in the field of artificial intelligence. Representatives of governments, international organizations, and the technology community will discuss AI regulation, infrastructure development, personnel training, and strengthening international technology partnerships.
The investment agenda will continue with the LP Summit, the first summit in Eurasia for LPs and VC investors. It will bring together institutional investors, venture and sovereign wealth funds, corporations, and family offices to discuss the development of the venture ecosystem and new investment opportunities. A separate section, AI MONTH, will be dedicated to healthcare technologies. At AI and MedTech Day, experts, doctors, developers, and startups will discuss the application of artificial intelligence in diagnostics and healthcare management and collaborate on new MedTech solutions.
One of the most spectacular technological formats will be the Unitree humanoid robotics hackathon. Teams will program real Unitree G1 humanoid robots, provided by the organizers, and solve practical problems without the use of simulators.
Technology will also expand beyond the traditional IT agenda. From October 1st to 3rd, the Astana AI Film Festival will take place—an international festival dedicated to a new direction in cinema, where artificial intelligence is becoming a fully-fledged filmmaking tool. The program will feature films created using AI, public screenings, professional discussions, and workshops on how technology is changing directing, visual style, storytelling, character creation, special effects, and voiceover.
The program also includes the international robotics competitions FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST LEGO League, a UNICEF strategic foresight session on the impact of AI on the future of children and youth, technology events for business, and other specialized formats.
The main technology forum in Eurasia and one of the key events in the IT world – AI & Digital Bridge 2026 – will bring together executives from leading technology companies, founders of global businesses, scientists, investors, entrepreneurs, startups, and representatives of international organizations. The program focuses on artificial intelligence, technological entrepreneurship, investment, human capital development, and new opportunities in the digital economy.
Tickets for the open program on October 2–3 are now available on the forum's official website: https://digitalbridge.ai/ru/. A special high-level program will be held on October 1, featuring top government officials, international delegations, and technology industry leaders. Participation in this day's events is by invitation only.
On October 2 and 3, the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 open program will be held for forum participants. Representatives of global technology companies, international experts, entrepreneurs, startups, and investors will gather in one place.
Confirmed participants of AI & Digital Bridge 2026 include NVIDIA Vice President Rev Lebaredian, Network School founder Balaji Srinivasan, Sinovation Ventures and 01.AI founder Kai-Fu Lee, E-Space founder and CEO Greg Wyler, General Atlantic chairman and CEO William Ford, Dream co-founder and president Sebastian Kurtz, Oxford Insights co-founder and CEO Richard Stirling, Financial Times correspondent Eleanor Olcott, Higgsfield AI co-founder and CTO Erzat Dulat, Crimson Education founder Jamie Beaton, MA7 Ventures founder Murat Abdrakhmanov, Kazakhtelecom JSC chairman of the board Bagdat Musin, Choco Holding co-founder Ramil Mukhoryapov, and other representatives of the international technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
AI & Digital Bridge 2026 will become the central platform for international technology dialogue and showcase Kazakhstan's development as a Eurasian AI hub – a hub for technology, talent, entrepreneurship, and investment.
AI MONTH will not be limited to events in Astana. Throughout the month, events in the field of artificial intelligence and digital technologies will be held in regional technology hubs across Kazakhstan.
The program will include workshops, bootcamps, hackathons, career meetups, pitch sessions, and startup battles. Schoolchildren, students, teachers, developers, entrepreneurs, startup teams, and specialists interested in mastering and applying artificial intelligence are welcome to join the events.
The regional program will engage participants from across the country in the technology agenda, gain new skills, develop their own solutions, and present promising projects to the professional community.
Current dates, venues, and registration requirements for regional events are available on the Astana Hub platform.
The month-long program will conclude with the Grand Final alem.ai Battle – the final of the AI competition organized by Astana Hub, an international innovation cluster created to develop technological entrepreneurship and the IT industry in Kazakhstan.
The final will bring together the strongest teams and young talents from Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Participants will present their developments in four categories, and the final will serve as a platform for presenting promising solutions in the field of artificial intelligence. Thus, AI MONTH will unite the entire cycle of artificial intelligence development into a single program – from education, talent development, and AI product creation to technological entrepreneurship, investment attraction, and international cooperation.
The month-long format will highlight the scale of changes taking place in the country: the AI agenda is developing not only at the largest international events, but also in regional technology hubs, educational environments, startups, and businesses.
AI & Digital Bridge 2026 will be the central international platform for AI MONTH and will showcase Kazakhstan's role as an emerging Eurasian hub for the development of artificial intelligence and digital technology.
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 Akimat. AI Month brings together partners supporting the development of artificial intelligence, technology initiatives, and the AI ecosystem in Kazakhstan. AI Month Gold Partners are Freedom Bank, Kaspi.kz, and Samruk-Kazyna JSC. Silver Partner is Halyk Bank. Transformation Partner is Beeline Kazakhstan. Official HackAlem AI Partner is Firebird AI KZ Ltd.
