Uzbekistan has seen an increase in digital services in recent months, with the volume rising by UZS21 trillion ($1.66bn) and expected to reach UZS43 trillion ($3.4bn) by year-end, while the sector's export value has reached $367mn, the Ministry of Digital Technologies reported.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev recently attended a presentation on advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and startup projects in Uzbekistan, which highlighted the progress in the IT sector and the expansion of information technologies across various fields.

This year, over 100 digitisation projects are being implemented in sectors such as healthcare, energy, transport, education, agriculture, water management, and construction.

Additionally, the number of IT park residents has increased to over 2,000, with 32,000 young professionals now employed in these facilities.

The integration of AI and digital technologies is advancing quickly, with projects like "MyID" and "UzFace" providing remote biometric identification for 10mn users across more than 70 organisations.

Moreover, Uzbekkosmos (Uzspace) has employed AI to uncover about 43,000 instances of illegal underground use and unauthorised construction.

The presentation addressed the need to create a legislative framework for AI and develop a strategy for its integration across sectors including healthcare, agriculture, banking, taxation, and customs, with a key task being the establishment of a dedicated AI technologies centre.

The importance of broadening AI applications in the banking and financial sectors was also highlighted, along with the need for training and upskilling personnel.

Currently, four universities offer AI training, with a demand for 600 specialists in big data processing and language models, which is projected to double in the near future.

In 2023, Uzbekistan attracted $134mn in venture investments for startup projects. Therefore, President Mirziyoyev emphasised the need to foster a supportive environment and enhance the startup ecosystem during the presentation.

Uzbekistan is committed to fostering a supportive environment for venture financing by advancing the startup ecosystem and implementing effective financing mechanisms.