ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s AI MONTH 2026 program opens Sept. 23 with a $1.1 million HackAlem AI hackathon, launching a month-long series of events focused on artificial intelligence, digital technologies, investment, cybersecurity, robotics and technological entrepreneurship across the country.
Held as part of Kazakhstan’s Year of Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, AI MONTH brings together the technology community, businesses, educational institutions, startups, international experts and regional technology hubs. The program will culminate in the international AI & Digital Bridge 2026 technology forum, which will take place in Astana from Oct.
1 to 3. HackAlem AI powered by OpenAI will launch AI MONTH on Sept. 23. The organisers describe it as one of the world’s largest hackathons focused on developing AI solutions. Teams of up to three participants will develop agentic AI solutions for 10 key sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy, with the mandatory use of OpenAI Codex and API.
The total value of the hackathon’s prizes and technological resources will reach $1.1 million, including a cash prize pool, API tokens and OpenAI technology resources for developing and launching AI solutions. The winners will be recognised on the main stage of AI & Digital Bridge 2026.
The hackathon will bring together developers, students, young professionals, startups and IT enthusiasts, giving participants an opportunity to move from an idea to a working AI solution within a short period. In 2026, Kazakhstan has expanded its previous AI Week format into AI MONTH, reflecting the growing number of initiatives in artificial intelligence and the expansion of the country’s technology agenda across industries and regions.
The program includes KazHackStan, an international cybersecurity conference scheduled for Sept. 29–30 in Astana. More than 100 regional and international speakers will discuss DevSecOps, open-source intelligence, data protection, malware analysis and emerging cybersecurity threats associated with AI development.
A C5+1 platform dedicated to cooperation between Central Asian countries and the United States in AI will also take place during the period. Participants from governments, international organisations and the technology community will discuss AI regulation, infrastructure development, talent training and international technology cooperation.
AI and MedTech Day will focus on the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare, bringing together experts, doctors, developers and startups to discuss AI-powered diagnostics, healthcare management and new MedTech solutions. The program will also feature a humanoid robotics hackathon organised around Unitree robots.
Teams will program Unitree G1 humanoid robots provided by the organisers and solve practical tasks without using simulators. From Oct. 1 to 3, Astana will also host the Astana AI Film Festival, dedicated to the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. The festival will feature AI-generated films, public screenings, professional discussions and workshops examining how AI is changing directing, visual styles, storytelling, character creation, special effects and voice production.
The program will additionally include international FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST LEGO League robotics competitions, as well as a UNICEF foresight session examining the impact of AI on the future of children and young people. AI MONTH will extend beyond the capital, with events taking place at technology hubs across Kazakhstan throughout the month.