Kazakhstan's Role in Powering the AI Revolution in the United States

The recent U.S.Central Asia (C5+1) Summit in Washington marked a pivotal moment in the United States approach to the region. While traditional topics like energy and security were discussed, technology and artificial intelligence have emerged as central areas of collaboration.

For the U.S., continued growth in AI relies on secure energy, robust digital infrastructure, and diversified supply chains. Analysts now point to energy supply and cooling capacity as the primary constraints on AI expansion. Data centers for AI consume far more power than conventional computing facilities, putting pressure on existing grids and infrastructure.

Kazakhstan offers a strategic partner in addressing these challenges. During the summit, both countries unveiled several initiatives to strengthen cooperation in digital infrastructure and high-performance computing. Among them is a planned $2 billion regional AI Compute Hub in Kazakhstan in partnership with NVIDIA. Additional agreements exceeding $1 billion involve Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco, and Oracle, focusing on data infrastructure, cloud solutions, and AI development.

These initiatives aim to create a transcontinental digital collaboration, supporting U.S. objectives to expand trusted AI capacity and diversify computing resources. The discussions highlight that AI advancement depends not only on algorithms but also on the physical infrastructure that powers them.

Kazakhstan possesses the energy and mineral resources necessary to support AI growth. The country is the worlds largest uranium producer, supplying over 40% of global output and about a quarter of U.S. imports. It also has substantial reserves of copper, lithium, tungsten, and rare earth elements essential for servers, semiconductors, and clean-tech supply chains. Collaborative efforts can enhance critical mineral security and build processing capacity closer to demand centers.

Beyond minerals and energy, Kazakhstan is undergoing rapid digital transformation. Its Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development is establishing national computing capabilities, ethical frameworks for AI, and integrating digital solutions across government and industry. The country is also developing a supercomputer and a Kazakh-language large language model.

A major project in this transformation is the Trans-Caspian Fiber Optic cable, connecting Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan across the Caspian Sea. Once operational, it will link Central Asia directly to Europe, providing a secure data transmission route. U.S. companies like Starlink, Amazon Kuiper, and Meta are supporting satellite connectivity, cloud infrastructure, and language-specific AI tools, positioning Kazakhstan as an emerging digital hub between Asia and Europe.

This new focus builds on decades of U.S. investment in Kazakhstan, totaling over $100 billion with more than 600 American firms currently operating there. The shift is from energy and logistics toward innovation and knowledge-driven industries. The recent AI and digital agreements reinforce this transition.

For the U.S., partnering with Kazakhstan helps address AI-related energy and mineral constraints and strengthens its influence on global data governance, cybersecurity, and responsible AI development. For Kazakhstan, these collaborations facilitate technology-driven growth, AI expertise, and integration into international value chains, moving beyond raw material supply to active participation in the global digital economy.

The summit underscored that the next era of U.S.Central Asia cooperation will be defined not by pipelines and railways but by fiber networks, data centers, and AI systems. The 21st-century infrastructure is digital, and Kazakhstan is poised to be a key partner in building it.

Zhaslan Madiyev is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of AI and Digital Development of Kazakhstan.

Author: Sophia Brooks