Uzbekistan announces an AI startup competition with a prize pool of $1 million

The government of Uzbekistan has announced the launch of a startup competition in the field of artificial intelligence with a prize fund of $1 million. The initiative aims to develop the local ecosystem of AI projects and identify promising solutions in education, finance, and technology.

The President has ordered the creation of an artificial intelligence alliance, which will include leading companies, universities, and international experts. Additionally, starting from the 2026-2027 academic year, schools will introduce new computer science programs that include AI topics, developed in collaboration with MIT.

An artificial intelligence cluster is being established at the New Uzbekistan University, and AI laboratories will open in 19 universities across the country. Quotas for grants in the fields of FinTech, cybersecurity, and cloud technologies will be increased by 35%.

Under the One Million AI Leaders program, 100,000 people are planned to be trained this year and 500,000 by 2026. The country's goal is to enter the top 50 global leaders in AI development by 2030.

Source: Prezident matbuot kotibi