A Kazakh has taken the helm at Apple, and OpenAI is striving to extend human life: what's new in the world and Central Asia

Kazakh Appoints Head of Apple's Government Affairs Department for Central Asia and Armenia

Adilkhan Kopabayev has joined Apple Inc. as the Head of Public and Government Affairs for Central Asia and Armenia.

Freedom Holding Corp. to Open a Bank in Tajikistan in Spring 2025

Timur Turlov highlighted the high potential of the Tajik banking sector, where total assets amount to approximately $2 billion, and the share of cashless payments is only 20%, creating opportunities for the development of digital banking.

Kyrgyzstan Proposes Creating a Regional Artificial Intelligence Hub

To strengthen cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Kyrgyzstan has proposed several initiatives: developing data protection standards and ensuring access to computing power through data centers.

CodiPlay Raises $9 Million for Expansion in the MENA Region

Kazakh EdTech startup CodiPlay has successfully raised $9 million in a Series A funding round, valuing the company at $100 million.

OpenAI Attempts to Extend Human Life with a Longevity Startup

OpenAI has trained a new AI model called GPT-4b micro in collaboration with Retro Biosciences, a longevity startup aiming to extend human lifespan by 10 years.

Neuralink Successfully Implants Neural Chip in Third Patient

Neuralink announced the successful implantation of its neurointerface in a third patient. In 2025, the company plans to perform an additional 20–30 such procedures.

DeepSeek Releases AI Model R1, Surpassing OpenAI's o1

Chinese company DeepSeek has released an open-source version of its AI model R1, demonstrating performance comparable to or exceeding OpenAI's o1 model in AIME, MATH-500, and SWE-bench Verified benchmarks.

BMW Unveils New Head-Up Display Widget Interface System at CES 2025

The new system, unveiled at CES 2025, will be gradually integrated into all of the company's models. The key innovation is customizable widgets, including the ability to display information on the windshield.

State University Cyber University Being Established in Uzbekistan

The new university will focus on training specialists and developing technologies in the most modern and in-demand fields.