Uzbekistan wants access to both American and Chinese AI technologies, says AP representative

Uzbekistan is seeking access to both American and Chinese artificial intelligence technologies, as stated by Bobur Khodjaev, Head of the Department of Financial Technologies, Digitalization, and Artificial Intelligence of the Presidential Administration, at the Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum in Tashkent on August 24, according to a Gazeta correspondent.

During the session, the moderator raised the issue of digital sovereignty and the choice between American and Chinese AI technologies, asking, "What is Uzbekistan's position on large-scale artificial intelligence models? Is it not important for you which technology to use, and you simply choose the best available? Or are there concerns about becoming too dependent on country A or country B?"

Bobur Khodjaev responded that Uzbekistan is interested in access to technologies from both countries. "As a developing country, we want to have access to all available technologies. If you are specifically referring to the US and China, then obviously American tech companies offer advanced AI chips and AI models." "China, in turn, offers open-scale models that are significantly cheaper than American ones. And we would like to have access to both," he explained.

At the same time, according to Khodjaev, Uzbekistan is actively developing its own artificial intelligence infrastructure. "At the same time, we are creating our own sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure. Last month, we commissioned our first large supercomputer in the digital government data center, and over the next 12 months, we will triple its capacity," he said.

A representative of the Presidential Administration also mentioned the development of its own AI models for various sectors. "We are also working on our own AI models that will be used in education, healthcare, public services, and finance," he added.

According to Khodjaev, the authorities also intend to create favorable conditions for attracting investment in AI infrastructure, including data centers. "Last year, we announced tax incentives and a special electricity tariff for investments in data centers in Karakalpakstan. We have now formed a significant pool of investors willing to invest there," said Bobur Khodjaev.

He also mentioned the creation of a special zone, Enterprise Uzbekistan. "We have also created Enterprise Uzbekistan—a new special zone that will offer international technology companies a common-law regime and tax incentives," he said.

Bobur Khodjaev emphasized that Uzbekistan does not intend to limit its cooperation to individual countries or technology platforms. "We are open to collaboration with all partners and all interested parties and strive to implement artificial intelligence technologies not only in finance but in all sectors of our economy," he stated.

In mid-August, Reuters reported that the United States was preparing to demand that dozens of countries choose between the American and Chinese artificial intelligence ecosystems. According to the agency, Washington intends to warn its partners that participation in Beijing's competing initiative could exclude them from the AI coalition being formed by the United States.

This refers to the Pax Silica initiative, launched by the United States in 2025 to strengthen supply chains related to AI models, semiconductors, and critical minerals. About two dozen countries have joined, including Kazakhstan, Japan, Australia, and South Korea.

According to Reuters, the State Department has prepared a draft letter for the 35 countries that signed the US AI Opportunity Statement in June. The document calls on partners to "make informed choices" regarding AI cooperation. Washington believes that simultaneous participation in competing technology initiatives is incompatible with its commitments under Pax Silica.

The US hardened stance was prompted by China's creation of its own World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in July. Beijing, in particular, is promoting Chinese open-scale models as an alternative to the closed systems of American companies. Uzbekistan joined WAICO in July of this year.

According to Reuters, Kazakhstan is currently the only known country to have joined both initiatives, which has raised concerns in Washington.

The US views Pax Silica not only as a platform for AI cooperation but also as a mechanism for joint investment, export controls, and reducing dependence on competing countries for critical minerals, semiconductors, and other technologies. Reuters noted that the rivalry between the US and China for leadership in AI is intensifying amid the rapid development of Chinese open-scale models, which are increasingly competing with systems from American companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic.