In Astana, the founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, has unveiled a new center dedicated to research and development in artificial intelligence, known as Alem AIThe announcement was made at the international Digital Bridge forum, where the entrepreneur outlined the initiative's main objectives and its fit within the country's technological ecosystem.
According to Durov himself, Alem AI's first project will be articulated in collaboration with the Kazakhstan supercomputing cluster, promoted by the Ministry of Digitalization. The proposal focuses on a technology in which Telegram has been working for months and that combines artificial intelligence and blockchain to enable new uses and services.
Alem AI scope and priorities
The center was born as a laboratory specialized in AI with the aim of transferring knowledge to real products. The intention, they explain, is to accelerate high-impact projects that leverage advanced computing and modern machine learning frameworks, paying special attention to the security, scalability and performance.
Its roadmap includes promoting prototypes that support large-scale digital services such as those of messaging and social platformsThe shadow of Telegram is present due to its experience with global infrastructures, although the axis of the laboratory is to collaborate with public and private actors in the country to create useful and exportable solutions.
Cooperation with the supercomputing cluster
The alliance with the national cluster will provide the massive computing needed to train and serve next-generation AI models. These are resources that will allow for faster experimentation cycles and the validation of technologies that, according to Durov, fit with the Telegram's internal efforts in applied AI.
This joint approach, supported by the Ministry of Digitalization, seeks to accelerate the maturity of solutions and, ultimately, lay the foundation for sustainable projects. Collaboration opens the door to technical exchanges, access to anonymized data, and pilot tests in controlled environments of the Kazakh ecosystem itself.
Institutional agenda and support
During his visit, Durov met with the President Kasim-Yomart Tokayev to explore avenues for cooperation in artificial intelligence. The presidential office emphasized the interest in developing local talent and the innovative fabric, and valued positively Telegram's contribution to the country's digitalization.
Official sources recall that this is not the first time the businessman has traveled to the Central Asian country: his last visit was last year. On this occasion, the calendar has been marked by technical presentations at Digital Bridge and meetings with those responsible for the digital area, with an eye on joint projects and implementation schedules.
AI and blockchain: the technological bet
The company is working on a new technological layer that combines AI capabilities with blockchain's own mechanisms. The combination aims to enable advanced verification, automation, and governance functions, as well as efficient computing models for large-scale distributed services.
Although not all details have been revealed, the roadmap suggests prototypes that take advantage of language models and vision algorithms, integrated with immutable ledgers and smart contracts. The idea is to test use cases that can be deployed safely in high-concurrency environments.
Durov's international context
Durov's figure is also marked by his legal relevance. In August de 2024, the businessman was arrested in France as part of an investigation that pointed to him as a possible facilitator of crimes committed by third parties on digital platforms, citing typologies such as fraud, crimes against minors or drug traffickingThe controversy rekindled the debate on the balance between privacy, moderation and cooperation with authorities.
The founder of Telegram has often been object of suspicion Both in Russia and in Western countries for its stance against requests for state intervention in the platform. However, the new initiative in Kazakhstan is presented in a technological and industrial key, with specific goals in research and development of Artificial Intelligence.
Potential impact for Kazakhstan
The launch of Alem AI can strengthen the country's positioning as regional innovation node, attracting talent and fostering collaboration between universities, government, and the private sector. Access to supercomputing and the support of a global company increase the likelihood of bringing prototypes to market.
If the plans move forward on the announced terms, Kazakhstan could consolidate a AI pole with a driving effect on cybersecurity, e-government, and the digital economy. In the medium term, those responsible hope that the lab will accelerate the emergence of exportable use cases and strengthen local technological value chains.
The opening of Alem AI and cooperation with the supercomputing cluster put Kazakhstan on the map of ambitious AI projects, with Telegram providing technical expertise and a development agenda that crosses artificial intelligence and blockchain. The true scope of the first pilots and how they translate into specific services for citizens and businesses.
