AI Week 2025 in Astana: The start of the week of artificial intelligence and technology

From September 26 to October 4, the capital will become a magnet for everyone who sets trends in the digital industry. For the first time, as part of the Digital Bridge 2025 forum, a series of large-scale events called AI Week will take place. A rich program is expected, featuring innovative projects and a unique opportunity to be the first to share with the audience the future of technology.

On September 29 at 15:00, the final of the national AI project competition AI SANA Generative Nation will take place. Schoolchildren, students, startups, and scientific teams will present their projects and ideas for the future. The goal of the competition is to identify and support new talents, as well as to form a community of future AI leaders who will define the digital future of Kazakhstan.

In August, Astana Hub announced the launch of the national AI project competition, which attracted teams from all regions of Kazakhstan. Hundreds of applications were submitted to the competition, which underwent expert evaluation based on criteria such as the application of AI technologies, originality of the idea, scaling potential, team competence, clarity and coherence of the presentation, and the ethical aspect of the project. As a result of the selection, the top 20 projects advanced to the final—five in each category. After the winners are identified, mentoring sessions will be organized for the teams to prepare them for their presentation at the main stage of the Digital Bridge 2025 forum. The finalists' mentors will include key leaders of the digital industry: Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiev, CEO of Astana Hub Magzhan Madiev, Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, Chairman of the Board of JSC "Kazakhtelecom" Bagdat Musin, CEO of Silkroad Innovation Hub Aset Abdualiev, and founder of MA7 Venture Murat Abdrakhmanov.

The competition winners will receive valuable prizes: three projects from the Best School AI Project category will receive MacBook Air laptops per team, two projects from the Best Student AI Project category will receive 5 million tenge per team, and one project from the Best Science AI Project category will receive 10 million tenge per team.

On September 30 at 15:00, attention will focus on the Google Firebase Studio Championship for developers in Central Asia. The best teams from the region will present their solutions based on Firebase Studio and Gemini API. Winners will receive cash prizes, GCP vouchers, and access to educational resources. The event will bring together developers, researchers, and students from across the region for the final pitches of the top 10 projects created using advanced Google tools. The program includes speeches by experts and VIP guests, participant presentations, jury work involving specialists from Central Asian tech companies and Google employees, and a ceremonial awarding of the winners. Finalists will receive certificates, Google credits, and GCP vouchers worth up to $1000. Among the guests is Peter Norvig, Director of Research at Google. The championship will include project pitches by finalists, interactive sessions, and a raffle for tickets to Digital Bridge 2025.

On October 1 at 11:00, Opening AI’preneurs will take place—the official launch of the third cohort of Astana Hub's flagship acceleration program, which is shaping a new generation of AI startups. Participants will hear success stories from graduates of the first cohorts, learn about the goals and format of the training, listen to speeches from leading trackers Evgeny Frolov and Nikolai Tian, and hear a motivational speech from Dosszhan Zhusupov, CEO of Cerebra.

On October 2 at 17:00, there will be a meeting with Solana Foundation President Lili Liu and legendary Arsenal footballer Sol Campbell. The organizer is Solana Superteam KZ. This unique event will bring together global leaders of the Web3 industry, the local IT community, and representatives of traditional business. The program includes speeches by international experts, an awarding ceremony for graduates of the blockchain development program, presentations of the first Kazakhstani projects on Solana, as well as networking and new partnerships.

AI Week will conclude on October 4 at 10:00 with a meeting from the TON CIS Hub regional team, which develops the TON ecosystem and supports startups, developers, and Web3 teams in the CIS. Participants will be able to get acquainted with the TON ecosystem, learn about opportunities for projects, communicate with active builders and the hub team. The program includes an overview of the ecosystem, launch stories from teams, and networking with community representatives and ecosystem projects.

All AI Week events will take place at Astana Hub, Event Hall, Block C4.6, Mangilik El Avenue, 55/8. For media representatives, this is a unique opportunity to be the first to hear about technological breakthroughs, receive exclusive comments from global experts and industry leaders, and see how Kazakhstan is becoming a magnet for AI initiatives across the entire region.

Participation can be confirmed by 18:30 on September 26 by sending an email to pr@astanahub.com with the subject line AI Week.

Contact person: Aigul Daulybay, phone +77011360277.

Source: Gov.kz