Tashkent, Uzbekistan — During ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026, the Global Computing Consortium (GCC) and the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan announced their cooperation on the Uzbekistan AI White Paper at the Future Intelligence Forum.

The initiative will bring together government institutions, industry organizations, technology companies and academic partners to study Uzbekistan’s AI development landscape and identify practical opportunities for the further growth of the country’s AI ecosystem.

Huawei, the Shenzhen Loop Area Institute (SLAI), and other international companies and institutions are expected to contribute to the preparation of the White Paper. The initiative will combine government guidance, international standards expertise, industry experience and academic research to support the development of practical recommendations for the continued growth of Uzbekistan’s AI ecosystem.

Establishing a Collaborative Research Framework

The Uzbekistan AI White Paper marks an important step in deepening cooperation between GCC and the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Through the initiative, the parties aim to bring together expertise and resources from across the AI and computing ecosystem, creating a collaborative framework involving government institutions, standards organizations, leading technology companies and academic institutions.

The research will examine international experience, technology and infrastructure development, standards, industry applications and talent development, while taking into account Uzbekistan’s national priorities and the specific characteristics of its AI ecosystem.

Uzbekistan Accelerates AI Development

Uzbekistan has made significant progress in developing its artificial intelligence ecosystem in recent years.

According to the 2025 Government AI Readiness Index by Oxford Insights, Uzbekistan ranked 62nd globally, compared with 87th in 2023, reflecting substantial progress in Uzbekistan’s AI readiness at the government level.

At the national policy level, Uzbekistan approved its Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence Technologies until 2030 in October 2024. The strategy establishes priorities for expanding AI infrastructure, developing human capital, strengthening the regulatory and standards framework, and accelerating the adoption of AI across the economy and public sector.

A dedicated center for artificial intelligence development has also been established, while a portfolio of 86 AI projects across seven priority sectors has been formed, covering healthcare, education, agriculture, energy, transport, ecology and finance.

Together, these initiatives are helping Uzbekistan move from strategic planning toward the practical and large-scale implementation of artificial intelligence.

GCC: Building an Open Global Computing Ecosystem

The Global Computing Consortium (GCC) is an international industry organization dedicated to advancing open innovation, standards development and ecosystem collaboration across the computing sector.

Today, GCC brings together more than 500 members, including leading enterprises and institutions from across the computing industry. Its membership spans technology providers, manufacturers, system integrators, enterprise users, research institutes and other organizations across the computing ecosystem.

Through the development of technical standards, industry research, best-practice initiatives and international cooperation, GCC aims to support a more open, innovative and sustainable global computing ecosystem.

Four Key Areas of Value

1. Combining International Best Practices with Practical Industry Experience

The White Paper will examine international approaches to AI development while drawing on practical experience from China and other markets in areas including AI infrastructure, standards development, industry applications and ecosystem building.

The objective is to identify approaches that can be adapted to Uzbekistan’s economic, technological and institutional environment and translated into practical recommendations.

2. Creating Opportunities for Continued Cooperation

The development of the Uzbekistan AI White Paper will also create opportunities for continued dialogue between GCC, the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan and other ecosystem partners.

Potential areas for future exchange may include AI and computing standards, industry cooperation, technology exchange and talent development.

3. Strengthening Industry and Academic Collaboration

Together with partners including Huawei and SLAI, the initiative will encourage closer cooperation among government, industry and academia.

This may include collaboration in areas such as AI infrastructure, research, standards, skills development and practical industry applications, helping connect technological capabilities with Uzbekistan’s national development priorities.

4. Sharing Uzbekistan’s Experience with the Wider Region

Uzbekistan’s rapidly developing AI ecosystem provides an important opportunity to explore how international expertise can be combined with national priorities and local industry needs.

The experience gained through the preparation and implementation of the White Paper may also provide useful reference for AI development and international cooperation in Central Asia and other emerging digital economies.

Outlook: Advancing AI Development Through International Cooperation

Speaking at the Future Intelligence Forum 2026, Oleg Pekos, First Deputy Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, said, “Today, we are entering a new stage in which artificial intelligence is becoming one of the key drivers of further technological and economic development. Uzbekistan has adopted the Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence Technologies until 2030. Based on this strategy, we are consistently advancing the development of computing infrastructure, the adoption of AI across economic sectors and public administration, talent development, and support for the technology ecosystem. We are gradually moving from building the strategic and institutional foundations toward the practical and large-scale implementation of artificial intelligence.”

Through the Uzbekistan AI White Paper, GCC, the Ministry of Digital Technologies and participating international partners aim to bring together international experience, industry expertise, academic research and Uzbekistan’s national priorities to develop practical recommendations for the continued growth of the country’s AI ecosystem.