Hotel on the Moon and Turkish AI: What’s New in January 2026 in the World and Central Eurasia

The first robotic coffee shop has opened at Tashkent Airport
A robot barista prepares drinks, handling each order in two to three minutes. The menu features around 20 types of coffee and other beverages. Orders can be paid for with cash, card, or electronic payment methods. The project is part of the digitalization of services and the implementation of robotic solutions in airport infrastructure.

The President of Kazakhstan has supported the development of the Higgsfield AI startup
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with the team of the AI startup Higgsfield AI and highly praised its success as an example of a global technology leader, emphasizing the importance of developing artificial intelligence and IT entrepreneurship in the country. The meeting discussed the systematic integration of AI into the economy, public administration, and social sectors, as well as creating conditions for scaling Kazakh IT companies and expanding into global markets.

Area AI 1.0, an AI hub for exporting solutions, has officially launched in Dushanbe
The hub operates as a project office for consortium member companies and will serve as the foundation for the future large-scale Area AI 2.0 AI campus, scheduled to open in 2027. Representatives of the government, international companies, and organizations attended the ceremony, signing memorandums to develop international cooperation in the field of AI.

Kazakhstan has joined the first OpenAI educational program
The country has become a participant in the global AI education initiative, gaining access to resources for students and professionals.

Unmanned taxis are planned to be launched in Astana
The Ministry of Transport and inDrive signed a memorandum on launching a pilot project for unmanned taxis, which are planned to go into operation by 2026 as part of the "smart city" strategy to enhance the safety and convenience of urban mobility. The first stage involves creating a test track, preparing infrastructure, and adapting legislation, with the preliminary test route selected from Astana Airport to the Abu Dhabi Plaza shopping center.

BlackRock may invest up to $1.5 billion in AI and data center projects in Azerbaijan, while also considering participation in key investment projects in Uzbekistan, discussing with authorities the prospects for further cooperation and the implementation of previously reached agreements.

Meta is preparing paid subscriptions for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp
Meta plans to test paid subscriptions for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, which will give users access to exclusive features and advanced AI tools. Basic functionality will remain free, while new capabilities will be sold as separate packages.

Jeff Bezos is launching satellite internet via Blue Origin
The project involves creating a mega-constellation of more than 5,400 satellites in low and medium Earth orbit, capable of providing data transmission speeds of up to ~6 terabits per second for corporate, government clients, and data centers.

American company Gru Space plans the first hotel on the Moon
The American space startup Galactic Resource Utilization Space announced plans to build the first hotel in history on the Moon by 2032 and has already begun accepting reservation applications with deposits ranging from $250,000 to $1,000,000. Initially, it will be an inflatable structure developed on Earth and delivered to the lunar surface, designed to accommodate up to 4 guests with life support systems.

Kazakhstan has presented one of the largest regional AI models for automatic speech recognition in Turkic languages. The development was carried out by the Kazakh startup Cybernet AI with the support of Astana Hub and the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Kazakh esports player Molodoy has entered the top 10 best CS2 players of 2025
This is his first appearance on the list following an impressive debut year at the highest level of CS2. He spent the season winning four tournaments with the FURIA team and earning two MVP titles, including the title of best player at IEM Chengdu and FISSURE Playground 2.