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In the heart of Kazakhstan, a powerful supercomputer is set to revolutionise the nation's AI development, research, and innovation. The machine, located at the data processing center of JSC "National Information Technologies" in Astana, boasts a capacity of two exaFLOPS, making it one of the most potent in the world.
This supercomputer is designed to comply with the international reliability standard Tier III, ensuring redundancy of equipment, traffic control, and multi-level authentication for improved security. It will analyse data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Finance, forecasting exports and imports, tracking prices on goods, and evaluating the risks of their increase.
The supercomputer's capabilities extend beyond Kazakhstan's borders, as it is intended to be used in a wide range of tasks in the field of artificial intelligence. In science, supercomputers are already being used for climate modeling, physics, biomedicine calculations, and pandemic studies. In industry, they are employed for simulations in the automotive, oil and gas, and engineering sectors. In artificial intelligence, they are used for training language models like ChatGPT and Gemini.
The presence of this server in Kazakhstan would significantly reduce the possibility of data leakage, according to Alibek Narimbay, CEO of a company specializing in AI and biometrics. However, despite assurances of taken security measures, the risk of data leakage remains high for banks, as they strive to maintain banking secrecy within their own infrastructure. As a result, telecom operators and banks are unlikely to use the supercomputer.
Smaller companies, such as microfinance institutions, may find it rational to use supercomputers due to not having their own servers. The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry is considering making the computing power available for both government bodies and private organizations on a commercial basis. The Ministry will provide methodological support and coordinate work within its competence.
Experts estimate that the public sector owns around 40% of the supercomputer market, private structures own around one-third, and scientific institutions own another 30%. The Ministry has not yet announced the tariffs at which businesses will be able to access the supercomputers.
Investing in supercomputers for Kazakhstan could provide significant advantages. Accelerated AI research and innovation is one such benefit, as supercomputers enable rapid simulations and large-scale AI processing. This could boost AI and scientific research in Kazakhstan, positioning the country as a regional AI innovation hub.
Countries and companies investing heavily in AI-optimised infrastructure gain a strategic edge in new AI models and applications. Building supercomputing capacity could support diverse sectors, from energy to tourism, through enhanced data analysis, optimization, and automation.
However, such investments also entail notable challenges. High costs and infrastructure demands are a significant concern, often beyond the reach of smaller organizations. Maximising supercomputer benefits demands skilled personnel and a robust ecosystem of AI developers and researchers, which may currently be limited in Kazakhstan.
Like the Bulgarian energy storage projects facing delays due to technical and regulatory challenges, Kazakhstan could face similar issues if infrastructure and policy are not well aligned, delaying benefits from costly investments.
In conclusion, while international examples demonstrate that supercomputers combined with AI can deliver transformative benefits, Kazakhstan must carefully weigh these gains against the financial costs, required expertise, and infrastructural readiness to successfully integrate such advanced technologies into its development strategy and ensure sustainable long-term returns.
- The supercomputer, optimized for Artificial Intelligence, will leverage data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Finance, aiming to foster advancements in finance by enhancing export and import forecasting, tracking goods prices, and assessing price increase risks.
- With the growing potential of the 'data-and-cloud-computing' industry and the increasing role of AI, the supercomputer's capabilities stretch across various sectors, including industry, science, and artificial intelligence, thereby fueling Kazakhstan's position in the international technology landscape.
