Kazakhstan ranks 72nd in Oxford Insight’s Government AI Readiness Index
In 2023, the global landscape was dramatically altered by the boom in artificial intelligence (AI) and legislative milestones. With breakthroughs in generative AI and important regulations such as the European Union’s AI Act, the technological wonder of AI has undoubtedly taken center stage, prompting global governments to integrate this game-changing technology into public services, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
According to the Government AI Readiness Index 2023 report prepared by the British research company Oxford Insights, today, global governments are using the tools of AI to boost innovation and efficiency in the public sector.
The implementation of AI technology is vividly shown by the government of the United Kingdom, which integrates its AI technologies into its healthcare system. South Korea frequently started using AI supportive basics for their Digital Government Platform, which will function as a platform for public-private cooperation, using government services to be provided by private companies.
Despite these successful developments, the effective adaptation of AI into the public sector still remains complex, leading to the creation of an index that measures the government’s preparedness for AI implementation into public services.
The 2023 index ranks 193 countries using 39 indicators distributed among three pillars: government, technology sector, and data and infrastructure.
This framework helps to understand the degree to which countries are prepared to implement AI technologies into the public sector successfully.
In terms of regional preparedness, South and Central Asia rank lower, with notable differences among other countries due to varying economic conditions, technological adaptation, and governance structures.
Kazakhstan ranks 72nd with a total of 48.56 points leaving an 11-point gap between India and Turkiye that stand out as the top performers in the region.
However, despite their higher rankings, India and Turkiye both fall behind in the data and infrastructure pillar globally, with Turkiye ranking 61st and India 66th.
As the regional leader, India has been particularly proactive with initiatives like India AI 2023, drafted by an Expert Group for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
The detailed report served as a 29 implementation plan for India’s 2018 national AI strategy and provided a roadmap for integrating AI into the nation's structure. It encompassed governance, data management, and strategic partnerships to foster innovation and technological advancement and serve as a cornerstone for the nation's AI readiness.
Alongside, India has been providing ever more cases of AI usage in the public sector, including launching Bhashini. This interactive platform aims to enable citizens to access the internet and digital services in their own language as part of the Indian government’s National Language Translation Mission.
This year, Turkiye published its Industry and Technology Strategy, articulating its aspirations to emerge as a technological power and emphasizing a synthesis of competitiveness, autonomy, and innovation. It also aims to further its domestic digital policies by addressing data governance, content moderation, and competition policy.
The strategy provides recommendations related to the use of AI in relation to data protection in the field. Turkiye’s aim of fostering an environment conducive to technological advancement and innovation is signaled by the strategic alignment of these policies.
Countries in Central Asia have also shown progress in AI readiness and digital transformation. Tajikistan has published its national AI strategy to encourage technological companies to relocate and adapt the country’s legislative frameworks to support AI goals.
Meanwhile, in Kazakhstan, the Astana Hub, an international technology park with special tax and visa status, has partnered with Google for Startups on its Silkway Accelerator program to provide support and mentoring for tech startups in the region.
According to the report, countries like Tajikistan and Kazakhstan have to advance their AI strategies, possibly through regional synergy initiatives such as the C5 group, which could unify AI policies across five Central Asian countries.
As the region of South and Central Asia looks forward, challenges in data availability and representativeness could hinder the development of objective AI technologies.
The upcoming year could be pivotal as India, the regional leader, will assume the chairmanship of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on AI governance and responsible AI.
The region also has several forthcoming strategies: Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka have stated that they will develop their own AI strategies, and Pakistan has released a draft document.
These potential C5 Government AI Readiness Index 2023 agreements may highlight the critical role of strategic planning and international collaboration in maximizing AI's full potential for societal good. However, it is worth mentioning that 78% of countries in the region still lack national AI strategies.
