In Kazakhstan, the AI network SKAI (Samruk-Kazyna Artificial Intelligence) has been appointed as a digital independent member of the Board of Directors of the Samruk-Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund.  The presentation of SKAI took place in Astana at the Digital Bridge international forum and was introduced to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on October 2, according to the Fund's Telegram channel.

SKAI, which is based on artificial intelligence, becomes the first digital board member in the region with voting rights. The AI network is designed to enhance transparency and the quality of corporate governance. It analyzes internal and external regulatory documents, Board decisions from 2008 onward, and other materials accumulated since the Fund’s establishment, enabling the Board to make more informed decisions.

Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Samruk-Kazyna board, described the introduction of the AI network as a "quantum leap" in governance. “Technologies and humans are starting to make decisions together, and digitalization is no longer just about processes but becomes part of the management philosophy,” he said.

Focus on security and efficiency

Security is a top priority for SKAI: it operates in a closed-loop environment on the Al Farabium supercomputer, developed by Kazakhtelecom, which is the second most powerful in Kazakhstan. The information remains within the country's borders, and the high computational power ensures reliability and quick analysis. The system is based on the Kazakhstan-specific Alem LLM language model, according to the Fund.

The implementation of SKAI is part of Samruk-Kazyna's long-term strategy for digitalization and management transformation.

SKAI to participate in upcoming Board meeting

SKAI will be used for the first time at the next Samruk-Kazyna Board of Directors meeting, which recently had a vacancy after the exclusion of Kanat Sharlapaev, the former economic advisor to President Tokayev, as reported by Fergana.

As a result, SKAI will become the seventh member of the Board, joining current members, including Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektanov, Samruk-Kazyna’s CEO Nurlan Zhakupov, independent director Bolat Jamishev, and three foreign independent directors: Luca Sutera, Wong Hen Fain, and Mohamed Jamil Al Ramahi.

About Samruk-Kazyna

Samruk-Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund was established in 2008 by a decree from the then-President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The Fund manages all national companies and provides subsidies from the state budget during times of crisis. The government of Kazakhstan is the sole shareholder of the Fund.

This move represents a major step in Kazakhstan’s efforts to integrate advanced technologies into governance, marking a new era of digital and artificial intelligence-driven decision-making in national management.