Kazakhstan’s Leap into the Supercomputing Era
Kazakhstan has made a significant move in the global race to build a supercomputer, unveiling the most powerful one in Central Asia. This advanced machine, capable of approximately 2 exaflops—equivalent to two quintillion (10^18) floating-point operations per second—has been launched at the Alem.cloud supercomputer centre in the capital, Astana. The supercomputer is set to serve two primary purposes: supporting the country’s growing e-government services and advancing the development of artificial intelligence (AI) models and engines.
The government has long prioritized these initiatives, with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev playing a pivotal role in championing the project. He officially activated the supercomputer during its launch and has been a strong advocate for AI development, even decreeing the Concept of the Development of AI in Kazakhstan until 2029. According to the concept, the country aims to be on par with global leaders in AI technology within four years.
At the opening ceremony, President Tokayev emphasized that the launch was a crucial step in the digitalization of key economic and scientific sectors. He highlighted the potential for the supercomputer to foster new technologies and improve everyday life solutions.
Enhancing Efficiency and Data Security
Boris Potapchuk, Senior Expert of the Data Center Infrastructure Service at Nazarbayev University, noted that the supercomputer serves as an image-boosting project for Kazakhstan. It positions the country as a modern state with access to cutting-edge technology. He explained that the AI cluster will allow for more efficient use of state resources and budgets by centralizing information systems that are currently scattered across various institutions.
This centralization will make data more accessible to citizens and ensure more reliable storage and security. However, Kazakhstan has faced challenges in data safety. Recently, a large-scale data breach was discovered, potentially affecting the personal information of 16 million citizens. The Ministry of Digital Development is investigating the incident, which involved the leak of names, individual identification numbers, birthdates, addresses, and phone numbers from private, non-governmental databases.
Despite these challenges, Kazakhstan has made progress in its e-government strategy since 2004. It has digitalized 92% of public services, and the younger generation now uses digital signatures and e-government services daily. Eight out of twenty million citizens have digital signatures. The country ranks 24th out of 193 countries in the world in e-government services according to the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI).
Focusing on AI Development
The central focus of the government’s strategy remains the development of AI. In 2024, a draft law on AI was approved, and a Committee on AI was established to oversee this field. Experts and politicians believe that without localized solutions and infrastructure, no country can be successful or independent in the future.
One of the key projects associated with the supercomputer is the Kazakh language model of AI, known as AlemLLM. This model has attracted attention due to concerns about the potential extinction of non-Western languages in the face of heavy AI utilization. Kazakhstan has invested in a large language model (LLM) in the Kazakh language, with six supercomputers already stationed at different universities for research and AI development.
Waqar Ahmad, President of Nazarbayev University, highlighted the importance of the supercomputer in developing KazLLM. He mentioned that the basic model was text-based, but new systems are focusing on voice recognition, image processing, and other advanced features. These developments could lead to more comprehensive AI models that integrate text, sound, and images.
However, Boris Potapchuk expressed some uncertainty about whether the supercomputer will be primarily used for developing new AI models or applying existing ones. He pointed out that the performance calculation methods suggest the computer may be more suited for applying models rather than training them. He also noted that venturing into new AI solutions presents both opportunities and challenges.
Addressing Brain Drain and Cybersecurity
Potapchuk emphasized that a supercomputer of this kind requires constant modernization and programming maintenance, tasks that can only be entrusted to high-profile specialists. He acknowledged that Kazakhstan faces serious issues with brain drain, particularly in IT fields. To address this, the country needs to attract and train its own experts while ensuring timely updates and modernization of software and program code.
He also mentioned that foreign experts will not be allowed to work on the supercomputer, similar to restrictions in the oil and gas industry and logistics. This ensures the protection of sensitive data, including citizens’ information stored on the system.
Strategic Importance for Technological Sovereignty
The Minister in charge of digital transformation, Zhaslan Madiyev, stressed that digital development is as crucial for national sovereignty as energy or food security. He described the launch of the national supercomputer center as a strategic step in building technological sovereignty. The goal is to create an AI ecosystem capable of competing globally.
The supercomputer represents the first step in what Madiyev calls a thousand-mile journey toward technological advancement. While challenges remain, the project underscores Kazakhstan’s commitment to leveraging modern technology for national growth and independence.
