Kazakhstan is reaping the rewards of a sweeping digital transformation of its public sector, with state investment in GovTech projects yielding returns of nearly €2 billion. Officials attribute these gains to radical cost optimization and a reduction in shadow economy activity, as the country positions itself as a leader in AI-driven governance.
A National AI Strategy Takes Shape
The Central Asian nation is now rolling out a new national strategy focused on large-scale digitalisation and AI integration. First Vice-Minister of AI and Digital Development Rostislav Konyashkin announced that "40% of all public services will be re-engineered and AI tools integrated. Data across government agencies will also be recombined." This year, the first national AI solutions competition for government agencies, the AI Governance Cup, attracted over 180 industry players developing tools such as legal and tax assistants and energy-sector solutions.
Kazakhstan's e-government platform is being upgraded to offer proactive public services powered by artificial intelligence. The country's large language model, AlemGPT, allows citizens to access services through a conversational interface similar to ChatGPT, eliminating bureaucratic hurdles. "AlemGPT eliminates bureaucracy and accelerates processes. Currently, citizens must navigate long chains of requests for more than 400 services across 20 systems, while businesses deal with 600 services across more than 10 systems," said Azamat Baimen, Managing Director for Marketing and Strategy at National Information Technologies JSC (NITEC).
Economic and International Impact
The digital push is translating into tangible economic gains. In 2025, IT service exports rose by 65%, reaching nearly €1 billion, with officials projecting exports could exceed €4 billion by 2029. GovTech is expected to become a leading driver of Kazakhstan's IT exports. The country's digital progress is also reflected internationally: it ranked 24th out of 193 economies in the 2024 UN Global E-Government Development Index and placed 10th globally in the Online Services Index, alongside leaders such as South Korea, Denmark, and Estonia.
Currently, 57% of government data has been digitised, primarily across education, healthcare, finance, and social support systems. Officials say this level of maturity is sufficient to support large-scale AI deployment. "This indicates that more than half of all critically important datasets have been formalised and are available for automated analysis," representatives from the Digital Government Support Center noted.
Two Decades of Digital Evolution
For nearly two decades, Kazakhstan has been reshaping public service delivery through e-government solutions. Initially launched as an information portal, eGov.kz evolved into the primary channel of interaction between the state and citizens. The digital infrastructure integrates state databases, departmental information systems, the eLicense.kz portal, the National Certification Authority, and the e-government gateway. In 2020, biometric identification was introduced, and during the pandemic, usage surged as digital documents expanded rapidly.
Today, more than 70% of the population uses the eGov portal or SuperApp, with around 5.5 million citizen requests processed annually. Users can register a legal entity or the birth of a child online in about 15 minutes while simultaneously applying for social benefits. Currently, 93% of over 1,300 public services are available online, with a target of 98% next year. The country is moving towards a more human-centred model of governance, with AI-driven solutions expected to remove further bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Kazakhstan's approach offers lessons for European nations grappling with digital transformation. While the country is not an EU member, its progress in AI integration and e-government efficiency is noteworthy. For context, Kazakhstan also faces environmental challenges that require innovative solutions. The success of its GovTech investments underscores the potential of AI to streamline public services and boost economic growth, a model that could inspire similar efforts across the continent.
