On 2 October, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of Sinovation Ventures and 01.ai, at the Akorda.
According to the president's press service, Tokayev said the government has already started a project to bring artificial intelligence into secondary education, building on Lee's recommendations and on international experience. Lee then went through the main parameters of the project for small schools. The pilot has run in 10 schools since September 2026; it is due to grow to 60 schools in January 2027 and to 500 in April 2027.
Tokayev asked for two things: steady scaling, and a visible gain in the quality of teaching. The release also says the opportunities AI brings should be equally open to urban and rural students, and that the president pointed to AI as one tool for encouraging entrepreneurship. Lee also presented a number of other initiatives on AI and digital transformation, which the release does not describe.
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The release gives no budget, no technical design and no list of schools, and it does not say what Sinovation Ventures or 01.ai actually do in the project. For companies eyeing Kazakhstan's education-technology market, the timetable above is all that can be confirmed for now.
Sources:
Website of the President of Kazakhstan (Akorda), https://www.akorda.kz/ru/prezident-prinyal-generalnogo-direktora-sinovation-ventures-i-01ai-li-kay-fu-29023
Kazinform, https://www.inform.kz/ru/li-kay-fu-predstavil-kasim-zhomartu-tokaevu-proekt-po-vnedreniyu-ii-v-malokomple-d04948ed
Trend, https://www.trend.az/casia/kazakhstan/4230632.html
Key facts
- Kazakh President Tokayev met with Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of Sinovation Ventures and 01.ai, at the Presidential Palace on October 2.
- The official readout from the Kazakh Presidential Administration said the government has begun advancing an artificial intelligence project at the primary and secondary school level, drawing on Kai-Fu Lee's recommendations and international experience.
- The pilot project introduced by Kai-Fu Lee is aimed at small-scale schools and has been underway in 10 schools since September this year.
- The project is planned to expand to 60 schools in January next year and to 500 schools in April next year.
- The President required that the project scale be expanded step by step while tangible results in improving teaching quality are seen.
- The readout did not publish the project budget, technical solution, or school list, nor did it specify the specific role of Sinovation Ventures or 01.ai.
FAQ
At what stage is Kazakhstan's K-12 artificial intelligence project currently?
According to the official readout from the Presidential Administration, the pilot for small-scale schools has been underway in 10 schools since September this year; it is planned to expand to 60 schools in January next year and to 500 in April.
What is the connection between this project and Kai-Fu Lee?
Tokayev met with Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of Sinovation Ventures and 01.ai, at the Presidential Palace. The readout said the government advanced the project by drawing on Kai-Fu Lee's recommendations and international experience, and Kai-Fu Lee presented the project parameters at the meeting.
What requirements did the President set for the project?
The readout mentioned two requirements: the scale should be expanded step by step, while tangible results in improving teaching quality should be seen; and it noted that AI opportunities should be equally accessible in both urban and rural areas.
What can investors confirm from publicly available information?
At present, the only confirmable item is the pace of advancement. The readout did not provide the project budget, technical solution, or school list, nor did it mention the specific role of Sinovation Ventures or 01.ai in the project.
What other uses of AI have been mentioned in Kazakhstan?
In the readout, the President mentioned in passing that AI can also serve as one of the tools for driving entrepreneurship; Kai-Fu Lee additionally introduced several initiatives in artificial intelligence and digital transformation, which the readout did not elaborate on.