Kazakhstan to launch AI-based Smart City project at end of 2025

In December 2025, Astana will launch the Smart City project, aimed at digitising urban infrastructure using artificial intelligence (AI).

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev praised the efforts of the government and the Astana city administration in preparing the project and instructed them to scale up the initiative to major cities across the country, including Almaty, Shymkent, and Karaganda.

The project provides for the automation of city services, optimisation of the transport system, improvement of energy efficiency, enhancement of security and environmental monitoring.

As part of the Smart City project, data from various systems will be combined on a single platform. There are plans to introduce smart traffic lights to reduce traffic jams by 15-20 per cent, electronic tickets and route monitoring in public transport, as well as video surveillance with face recognition. Smart meters will be introduced in the energy sector, reducing household electricity consumption by 10–12 per cent. This is reported by Kazinform, a partner of TV BRICS.

Scaling the project to other cities will require an investment of US$500–700 million. Smart traffic lights are already being introduced in Almaty, environmental monitoring is planned in Shymkent, and the digitisation of industrial facilities is planned in Karaganda.

For successful implementation, it is important to have uniform digitisation standards, transparent spending of funds and training of personnel – about 5,000 specialists in AI and data analytics annually.