Central Asian Countries Trail in Everyday Use of Content‑Generating AI

A Microsoft analysis finds the region lags despite ambitious national AI plans.

A new study from Microsoft finds people across most Central Asian countries are far less likely than global peers to use content‑generating AI in routine tasks, even as several governments push to build tech-driven economies. Kazakhstan scored highest in the group, placing 70th among 147 nations evaluated, while Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan clustered near the bottom of the list at 116th, 142nd, 144th, 145th and 146th respectively.

The report also shows a different picture when looking at speed of uptake rather than absolute position. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are among the faster-growing adopters in Asia, while neighboring Caucasus states such as Azerbaijan and Georgia sit at 62nd and 54th, ahead of Kazakhstan. Armenia, despite recent state initiatives, ranks 139th. Overall, the analysis indicates that richer, industrialized economies are seeing AI use expand at roughly twice the pace of many lower‑income countries.

Authors point to persistent infrastructure and skills shortfalls as the main drag on everyday AI use. Many households in the region still face intermittent power, patchy broadband, and limited access to the digital training that makes new tools useful. “You can roll out a platform, but if people don’t have steady electricity or reliable data, it won’t become part of daily life,” said Aibek Mambetov, a technology policy researcher in Bishkek.

The gap between high-level strategy and grassroots uptake is notable. Several Central Asian capitals, including Nur‑Sultan, Bishkek and Tashkent, have announced programs to foster IT clusters and research hubs, and Kazakhstan has declared 2026 a year focused on AI development. Still, policymakers now face the task of translating top‑down initiatives into services and skills that ordinary citizens can access and afford.

Analysts suggest the region needs coordinated investment in basic digital infrastructure, expanded vocational training and incentives for private providers to offer low‑cost connectivity and local language AI tools. A regional economist, Leyla Rahmonova, argued that targeted subsidies for last‑mile internet and public–private training partnerships could help close the divide within a few years if backed by sustained funding.