Big Tech & AI: Who Controls the Technologies of the Future

Almaty hosted the AlmatyFair.ai conference — a platform for dialogue between business, government, and the IT community. The event discussed AI regulation, the development of local expertise, and educational approaches. We share the key points from the panel session Big Tech & AI: Who Controls the Technologies of the Future.

Timur Shalekenov, CEO Yandex Qazaqstan

Speech technologies in Kazakhstan are continuously developing. In the first stage, clear pronunciation in the Kazakh language and translation accuracy were ensured. In the next stage, recognition of male and female voices was added. Among the new directions is improving the performance of robots on outgoing calls, which can now be assigned different tones depending on the situation. Yandex is working to enable robots to adapt when communicating in Kazakh and Russian, as well as to adjust to the interlocutor's level of understanding.

The Speech Sense technology, implemented in Yandex, allows tracking the tone of the discussion and evaluating how well the operator adheres to the script, what accents they make, and how this affects communication quality. Soon, such technologies are expected to become the standard for B2B partners. Yandex is also developing an intelligent camera for the mass market that translates text from any language in seconds, while AI Tutor helps children and adults solve math problems step by step.

Inclusion is one of Yandex's major directions: ensuring access to knowledge for everyone via the internet. All that is needed is to download Yandex Browser. Users will be able to listen to courses from Coursera or watch TED Talks in Kazakh, as well as receive summaries of articles or videos in various languages.

Yandex continues to integrate AI into various services, aiming to increase its role in information exchange, visual creation, and content generation. One of the company's goals is to increase the share of AI in every service, which will accelerate processes and improve the quality of customer interaction. In the future, the company plans to implement its AI technologies in government services, enhancing their functionality.

The fear of new technologies is undoubtedly a concern that has persisted throughout human history. We observed similar anxieties during the introduction of radio, television, and the internet. Each time, society anticipated catastrophe. In the case of artificial intelligence, the popularity of films like "Terminator 2" and "Her" prepared people for the idea that AI would lead to a global threat. However, it is important not to overestimate the technology.

Ablaykhan Ospanov, General Director of the Digital Business Division-Branch of JSC "Kazakhtelecom"

Today, "Kazakhtelecom" is undergoing a transformation, transitioning from a traditional telecommunications company to a telecom-plus-technology company — TelcoTech. This process opens up new opportunities for small and medium-sized companies working with AI, which require powerful infrastructure to develop their solutions. As a large infrastructure company, "Kazakhtelecom" will provide computing power for startups and other organizations striving to develop AI technologies.

Moreover, large companies like "Kazakhtelecom" can invest in research and development, setting trends in the market. Startups typically lack sufficient funds to test theories or develop innovations, but major players can support these initiatives. Yandex, Google, and other companies have already shown the way forward, revolutionizing the market and opening new horizons for development.

Regarding legislation, major players help shape laws that allow new technologies to develop. Lobbying for such changes is necessary to ensure that technologies continue to evolve and that the government provides guarantees for their implementation. One trend that is already actively developing is the use of robots in contact centers. Banks and FinTech companies are adopting such solutions, which in the long run will lead to the disappearance of professions related to human communication in these sectors.

Another trend will be the replacement of translators, as technologies like Yandex already allow easy text translation without knowing the language. However, with the development of these technologies come questions of security and privacy. For example, a Yandex Station can collect information about your life, which puts personal data at risk. It is important to strike a balance between using technologies and protecting information, which requires creating clear policies and rules for large companies and the state.

Asel Marchenko, Deputy Chairman of the Board of JSC "National Payment Corporation"

AI is currently used everywhere, but it is important to understand that for marketing, this is not always a working model. Artificial intelligence can only work if it is integrated as a component of infrastructure that brings real value. For example, in the payment industry, we are already beginning to implement AI to prevent fraud. Within the infrastructure that ensures interbank transfers, we use AI to analyze transactions in real time to identify and prevent fraudulent operations. This will help minimize risks and losses for clients.

In terms of regional trends, our region can be called techno-optimistic. We believe that technologies can solve many problems, improve society, and reduce corruption. Unlike Europe, where more attention is paid to regulations and limiting technological development, we in Kazakhstan focus on the practical implementation of technologies because we believe they can bring more benefit.

However, this comes with significant risks. AI has the potential to turn into a techno-dystopia, where large companies developing these technologies will have full control over data and processes, which could lead to monopolization and loss of digital independence. To avoid this, we need to develop our own centers of expertise and AI solutions within the country so that we can manage these processes rather than relying on foreign companies.

Regarding BigTech companies, their interests are primarily commercial. They strive to increase profits, and if AI is monopolized by the state or large companies, it will lead to problems with control over data and citizens' lives. To avoid this, we need to create independent institutions, such as ethics and development committees, which will help guide the development of technologies correctly and maintain balance.

AI will inevitably become part of our lives in the coming years, and it is important not only to understand how to integrate it properly but also what results we want to achieve.

One effective tool on this path can be a regulatory sandbox. Regulation can always be strengthened later, but excessive restrictions at the start can slow down or completely stop the development of the industry. In this context, it is worth studying the experience of other countries where legal conditions are created for flexible testing of new technologies. This is especially relevant for cross-industry projects, which find it difficult to pass through numerous approvals with different ministries and agencies. Introducing a legal status for experimental governance would accelerate the implementation of AI-based solutions and other advanced developments.

Along with regulation, updating the education system remains a priority. In four to five years, while a student masters an IT specialty, technologies undergo radical changes. This means that educational programs must be flexible and quickly adapt to market requirements so that graduates possess up-to-date knowledge and skills.

Another important direction is the development of local expertise. In recent years, steps have been taken: IT specialists have taken key management positions, and digital officers have been introduced into government agencies, improving the level of digital maturity. The next step is to create teams that will implement AI solutions to improve the efficiency of internal processes. We are already implementing such initiatives in our organization and evaluating their results.

To make processes systematic, expertise must accumulate in each organization. This will lead to the creation of independent centers of competence and analytical platforms that will develop their own strategies. Without this foundation, we risk becoming consumers of other people's technologies, while our goal is to create solutions locally.