President Ilham Aliyev touched upon several noteworthy points in an interview given on January 5. One of the points highlighted by the head of state was his statements regarding artificial intelligence.
“One of Azerbaijan's goals is to become a regional artificial intelligence hub and an information technology center, and I believe we have the potential to achieve this. We are currently working with our partners on the establishment of data centers. As you know, data centers require a lot of electricity. Today, Azerbaijan is the only country in the wider region with additional electricity capacity. Thus, today we have an additional volume of 2000 megawatts or 2 gigawatts that we do not use for domestic purposes, which can be exported or consumed here,”-the head of state noted.
It is of interest to know what innovations exist in this direction and what work is being done towards the establishment of a new Artificial Intelligence Center.
We addressed several questions to Tuncay Bagirov, the Director General of the National Artificial Intelligence Center, regarding this topic.
We present the interview with the Director General:
- What specific work has been done for the establishment of the National Artificial Intelligence Center?
- Azerbaijan's assessment as one of the countries showing the fastest progress in artificial intelligence readiness worldwide, in the “Government AI Readiness Index 2025” report published by the international research center “Oxford Insights,” is an international confirmation of the work done in this direction.
Behind this result lie the main strategic directions identified as priorities during the establishment of the new National Artificial Intelligence Center. The primary and most crucial stage in setting up the artificial intelligence center has been the formation of human potential. For this purpose, the training of local artificial intelligence engineers has begun with the participation of local experts who have studied abroad and specialized in the field of artificial intelligence, and an initial engineering base has been created.
In the next stage, the development of the local artificial intelligence industry has been targeted based on this formed human capital. The focus has been on developing practical artificial intelligence products that solve daily and institutional problems in various fields with engineering teams. As a result of this approach, a sustainable artificial intelligence ecosystem is gradually forming in the country.
At the same time, the admission of the first trained personnel to leading universities worldwide already demonstrates the effectiveness of this model. These young people are also actively participating in the establishment of Azerbaijan's national artificial intelligence ecosystem in parallel.
- Which countries' artificial intelligence centers are taken as examples?
- Several successful international models have been taken as a basis in the formation of the National Artificial Intelligence Center:
Singapore model - in terms of public-private sector cooperation and long-term strategic planning;
United Kingdom model, especially the experience of the “Alan Turing Institute” - in terms of establishing a balance between scientific research and applied artificial intelligence;
Germany model - in terms of industry-oriented artificial intelligence solutions and innovation infrastructure.
These models are not directly copied but are adapted and applied taking into account Azerbaijan's institutional, economic, and social realities.
- How will Azerbaijan integrate into regional and global artificial intelligence networks?
- The integration process is primarily built upon human capital, international academic collaborations, and industry connections. Local specialists are provided access to leading international universities, research environments, and technological platforms, while the ecosystem forming within the country is simultaneously linked with these global networks.
The goal is not only to join international artificial intelligence networks but also to establish Azerbaijan's position as a reliable and sustainable artificial intelligence center in the region.
- Which companies and institutions are being collaborated with in the field of artificial intelligence?
- Within the framework of “AI Academy,” there is cooperation with Stanford University, and this cooperation primarily involves knowledge transfer in leadership, decision-making, and artificial intelligence applications in the public sector.
Regarding the National Artificial Intelligence Center, cooperation opportunities are currently being discussed primarily with leading artificial intelligence companies of US and Canadian origin. When agreements are reached in this direction, the public is expected to be informed about them. Official announcements regarding the agreements are planned to be made soon.
- Have foreign investors invested in Azerbaijan in this sector?
- At the current stage, direct foreign investments in the artificial intelligence sector are not yet available. This is a strategically anticipated and gradually planned process.
The main approach is to first establish a local artificial intelligence industry within the country – strengthen the human resources base, create practical products, and make the ecosystem sustainable. It is expected that foreign investors' interest and real investments will be attracted in the next stage, based on this foundation.
