As Central Asia looks to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to lead its digital transition, Tajikistan has just taken a pivotal step.  Turning the country into a hub that will shape the role of AI for all of Central Asia, Dushanbe was named host of the new facility by unanimous agreement of the United Nations General Assembly on July 25.  

The resolution builds on Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon’s 2024 address to the 79th session of the UN General Assembly where he explicitly highlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence for sustainable development in Central Asia. He called on the UN to adopt a special resolution on “the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Creating New Opportunities for Socio‑Economic Development and Acceleration of SDG Achievement in Central Asia.”

Building on its diplomatic momentum at the United Nations, Tajikistan pressed to lead the region’s AI development and take a place at the forefront of technological innovation in Central Asia, while aiming to modernize its economy, improving public services, and positioning itself as a regional hub for digital transformation.  A central component of the resolution is the proposal to establish a Regional Artificial Intelligence Center in Dushanbe that will serve as a hub for coordinating AI initiatives across Central Asia.

Tajikistan adopted a long-term strategy for AI development through the year 2040 in September 2022, becoming the first country in the region to adopt such a plan embracing the new technology. By 2040, Tajikistan hopeso to generate five percent of its GDP from AI employment.

In addition to being the first country in Central Asia to deploy a national AI strategy, Tajikistan is also the first low-income country in the world to do so. This move reflects a broader ambition to position itself as a regional leader in technological innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence. For a country often overshadowed economically and geopolitically by its larger neighbors, this initiative signals Dushanbe’s desire to carve out a distinctive leadership role in a field that remains largely undeveloped across the region.

During the 2023 UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan’s President Rahmon sought to build on his country’s momentum and proposed establishing a regional SPECA Artificial Intelligence Development Center in Dushanbe. He emphasized the importance of digitalization in all sectors and affirmed Tajikistan’s readiness to lead regional AI cooperation, including in digital trade routes and IT workforce development.

In line with these national and regional ambitions, the Government declared 2025–2030 as the "Years of Digital Economy and Innovation Development," laying out ambitious plans for policy reform and digital transformation. Rahmon also stressed that military and law enforcement agencies must master new technologies, including AI, to enhance national defense, operational readiness, and adaptation to evolving security threats.

These developments culminated on June 25 when Rahmon inaugurated Central Asia’s first AI cluster and “Area AI” technopark, located in Dushanbe’s Darvoz district. Built by local company darya.ai, the cluster focuses on language models (especially Tajik), high-performance computing, and applied research, servings as a hub for startups, international collaboration, and pilot projects in sectors like energy, finance, healthcare, and education.

By investing in AI-driven education, infrastructure, and domestic tech capacity, Tajikistan is attempting to leapfrog over traditional stages of development. While it might not rival Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan in terms of economic and computing scale, Dushanbe appears determined to lead where others have yet to act, seeking recognition as a digital pioneer among the five Central Asian states.

However, Dushanbe could face several challenges in realizing AI infrastructure development. The development of the AI industry in the country also necessitates significant investment in establishing specialized workloads, particularly data centers. However, AI-focused data centers differ greatly from standard server facilities; they are massive complexes equipped with high-performance computer chips that demand constant cooling and a stable, uninterrupted power supply. According to the IEA, a typical AI data center can use as much electricity as 100,000 homes.

The country’s current energy capacity is already prone to seasonal shortages that could strain efforts to maintain the stable power supply that AI data centers demand. Tajikistan aims to cooperate with foreign investors and international partners on constructing energy-efficient, hydro-powered data centers to take advantage of the country’s water resources.  A 2013 World Bank report on “Tajikistan’s Winter Energy Crisis,” however, highlighted water shortages due to reduced output in winter months because of decreased river flow. As climate change intensifies seasonal extremes, this issue will continue to be a concern.  Already the country faces an increased annual demand from its growing population that its aging infrastructure struggles to meet, often leading to seasonal electricity shortages. Adding to its investment challenges, the country also owes nearly $500 million dollars in unpaid electricity bills.

Under such circumstances, it remains unclear how the government plans to reach its envisioned AI future. A limited capacity for investment and the country’s difficult mountainous geography brings into question the potential of developing AI facilities and massive electric grid expansions. Also, Tajikistan lacks adequate internet infrastructure for AI expansion, relying heavily on limited mobile networks. All telephone and internet communications are also centralized under state control, with the government maintaining a tight control over the internet and its often inefficient performance. 

Regardless of the severe impacts of climate change, the need for significant investment, and an escalating water crisis in the region, Tajikistan aspires to become a major player in the global technology industry, including with plans to start microchip production.  While the realization of a hub in Tajikistan faces significant obstacles, many similar projects that once seemed impossible are already being built in Central Asia, as the region continues to modernize at a breakneck pace.  AI, with its many demands, has captured Dushanbe’s attention and focus, and that could possibly be enough to move the project successfully forward.