# A humanoid robot swings a table tennis paddle to return an incoming ball. Across from it, a bipedal robot chases a soccer ball across the field. Every time the robots struck the ball or extended their legs, attendees pulled out their smartphones.
The exhibition hall for "AI (Artificial Intelligence) & Digital Bridge 2026," held on the 2nd (local time) in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, resembled a robotics competition arena. Crowds gathered to watch humanoids play table tennis and soccer.
QAZBOT robots, which freely roamed the exhibition hall and interacted with attendees, also drew attention. These robots used facial cameras to recognize people and then mimicked the poses adopted by the visitors. At the QAZBOT booth, the largest in scale at the event, another scene stood out: a large screen was displaying renderings and on-site footage of a robot manufacturing plant currently under construction in Kazakhstan. QAZBOT is a Kazakh robotics firm that leads efforts from humanoid research to industrial applications.
It was clear that China is Kazakhstan's primary AI partner. The companies demonstrating table tennis and soccer were Chinese firms, including Unitree and Booster Robotics. QAZBOT has also reportedly been pursuing model sharing and technology transfer through a strategic partnership with Chinese robotics firm AGIBOT.
Azamat Yesmukhamedov, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of QAZBOT, stated, "Currently, China is the leading nation in AI robotics and physical AI," adding, "We have a very deep partnership with AGIBOT, covering data collection, AI models, and knowledge transfer." QAZBOT plans to adapt robots developed in China to local environments and expand its business scope into Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and other countries.
The Kazakh government's "AI ambitions" are clear. The country has declared this year the "Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence" and is advancing its "Digital Kazakhstan" strategy. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who visited the "AI & Digital Bridge 2026" site on the 1st, stated, "Our goal is to become a leading international hub for cloud infrastructure and computing power," adding, "We will transform Kazakhstan into a digital nation within three years." The "Data Center Valley" currently has a capacity of approximately 300 megawatts (MW), with a target to expand up to 1 gigawatt (GW).
A diplomatic source noted, "China's influence across the Central Asian economy is becoming excessively large, so voices calling for collaboration with Korean companies are growing." Korea is also evaluated as possessing "world-class" capabilities in AI-related manufacturing, making its local entry highly anticipated. Using Kazakhstan as a springboard could directly target a full-scale entry into the Central Asian market.
Samsung Electronics signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Qazaq AI Research University (QAIRU) on the 15th of last month, coinciding with President Tokayev's visit to Korea, to cultivate AI talent. The plan involves establishing a "Samsung Innovation Campus" educational space within the university and linking Samsung Electronics' AI curriculum with the university's programs to enhance the AI capabilities of local students. The "Samsung Innovation Campus" has provided technology and programming education to thousands of young people in Kazakhstan since 2017.
in INDUSTRY
