First Telegram office in Central Asia to open in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan will host a new artificial intelligence laboratory established by Telegram. The announcement was made today, 2 October, by the messenger’s founder, Pavel Durov, during the Digital Bridge forum in Astana.

At the forum, Durov revealed that the sides will work on a new technology that combines blockchain and neural networks.

’’This technology will allow more than one billion people to access AI features. They will be privately generated by a decentralised computer system,’’ Durov said.

It was earlier reported that, on the sidelines of the Digital Bridge forum, Durov also met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan. Their discussions covered cooperation in cybersecurity, education, and artificial intelligence.

In addition, on 1 October, Durov visited a private school in Kazakhstan for talented students, which he personally sponsors. Last year, the billionaire donated $350,000 to support the education of 12 promising teenagers.

This is not Durov’s first visit to Kazakhstan. In June of last year, he came at the invitation of the government, when the country’s regulator authorised trading of the Toncoin token on licensed platforms.

It is worth noting that in October last year, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, innovations, and aerospace industry announced an agreement with Telegram to appoint a representative and open an office in the country. The step was explained as an important move to strengthen content oversight and enhance the safety of local users.