Kazakhstan to build supercomputer with a partner from the UAE to lease its power to neighbors
The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, Samruk Kazyna and Presight AI, a research and consulting company from Abu Dhabi, have officially agreed to build a supercomputer and a data processing center (DPC) in Kazakhstan. Once the project is implemented, the country will lease this computing power to neighboring countries, as stated on the ministry’s website.
Scientists and representatives from various companies in Kazakhstan are expected to have access to the supercomputer. Kursiv.media reached out to the Digital Ministry for clarification on the process of accessing it.
«The demand for technical infrastructure (a supercomputer) is significant among businesses, universities, the academic community and public agencies. They require such technology for the development of AI tools, which will benefit various sectors of the economy, including IT, finance, healthcare, energy, and manufacturing,» the ministry explained.
What is a supercomputer?
A supercomputer is a high-performance computer capable of processing massive amounts of data and performing a vast number of operations per second. These computers can execute trillions or even quadrillions of operations per second. Supercomputers are essential for running complex programs requiring substantial computing power, such as weather forecasting and nuclear blast modeling, tasks that servers and mainframes can’t handle.
Cray-1, developed in the 1970s, was one of the first supercomputers, capable of executing approximately 180 million operations per second. In 2022, World One, a supercomputer designed to predict patterns in human civilization, forecasted that life as we know it will end by 2050.
The government plans to deploy new computing capacity at an existing DPC managed by the National Information Technologies Operator, JSC, which operates Kazakhstan’s e-government infrastructure. The partners will construct a new DPC with expanded computing capacity in the second phase. Ultimately, Kazakhstan aims to lease this computing power to neighboring countries.
The launch of the supercomputer project was announced by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev last week during a meeting with cabinet members. He emphasized that «the supercomputer will expand the use of big data.»
“Data is akin to fuel in terms of artificial intelligence. It is crucial to ensure both free access to data and its security. We need to aggregate anonymized data from both public and private sectors by introducing a unified data management architecture,” Tokayev added.
In December 2023, President Tokayev claimed that he would personally oversee the creation of a national AI. Earlier that year, Digital Minister Bagdat Musin reported discussions with NVIDIA Regional Manager Anton Dzhoraev and announced the establishment of an AI Academy where Kazakhstani and Central Asian students can acquire basic AI skills.
Presight AI was established in Abu Dhabi in 2020, according to the company’s website. The company offers its customers a wide range of IT technologies and software. It operates in 14 countries, with its stocks available on the Abu Dhabi stock exchange since March 2023.
Development of the Kazakh Language Model
To develop the Large Language Model (Kazakh LLM), the Digital Ministry is collaborating with Nazarbayev University, the Til Kazyna Foundation and other institutions. This technology will be used in eGov solutions and various economic sectors. The government also plans to develop a special mechanism to regulate access to the supercomputer by startups, research centers, and institutes. Musin stressed the importance of the LLM as a crucial prerequisite for AI introduction.
In February 2024, Musin revealed that the country is developing an alternative to Chat GPT that supports the Kazakh language. Additionally, the minister announced that eGov AI will allow citizens to use public services directly, without a special interface. The implementation of AI has already begun.
The ministry noted that several Kazakhstani startups and companies have already been involved in AI implementation, including Cerebra, ForUS.Data, GoatChat.AI, Higgsfield AI, AI Labs, and Sergek Group, among others. Cerebra, a service that enables health specialists to identify strokes before they occur, stands out as one of the most successful cases. Higgsfield AI has developed a system to assist scientists and engineers in training complex computer models.
