“In the 21st century, the competition between states has entered a new stage. If for many years the superiority in the system of international relations was mainly determined by energy resources, military potential, transport corridors and financial resources, today another strategic factor has been added to this list – artificial intelligence. That is why leading states no longer consider artificial intelligence merely as a technological innovation, but as one of the main elements of national security, economic development, state governance and international competitiveness”.
This was stated by Milli Majlis deputy Sevinj Fataliyeva to Modern.az.
The deputy noted that the national artificial intelligence strategies adopted by the USA, China, the European Union, Great Britain, Singapore, South Korea and the Gulf countries in recent years show that a new technological race has already begun in the world. The main goal of this race is not only to possess more modern technologies. The main goal is to ensure control over the economy of the future, information resources, decision-making mechanisms and the high-tech market. It is no coincidence that in recent years, concepts such as "AI race", "AI sovereignty", "technological sovereignty" have become an integral part of foreign policy and national security discourse in international expert circles. In fact, history shows that every technological revolution has changed the balance of power in the system of international relations.
Once, the industrial revolution determined economic superiority. In the next stage, energy resources and high industrial technologies shaped the geopolitical capabilities of states. Today, artificial intelligence takes on this function. The World Bank, OECD, World Economic Forum and other influential international institutions believe that artificial intelligence will be one of the main sources of economic growth in the coming decade. This means that the competition for technologies has already become an integral part of states' long-term development strategies. However, it would not be correct to explain the importance of artificial intelligence only with economic indicators. In the modern era, these technologies affect all aspects of national security. From the defense industry to cybersecurity, from the protection of critical infrastructure to information security, from border management to emergency management, artificial intelligence is widely used in almost all areas.
According to the MP, especially the geopolitical events of recent years have shown that wars are no longer fought only on battlefields. Information manipulations, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, paralysis of critical infrastructure and digital espionage have fundamentally changed the traditional concept of security. In such circumstances, artificial intelligence has become one of the key technologies that significantly expand both offensive and defensive capabilities.
That is why many states pay special attention to protecting national artificial intelligence potential from foreign technological dependence. The data bases on which artificial intelligence systems are built, the algorithms with which they operate, where data is stored, and the principles by which decisions are made are no longer just technical issues. This is a new dimension of state sovereignty. Today, the concept of "digital sovereignty" is increasingly complemented by the concept of "technological sovereignty". If digital sovereignty referred to the security of state data, technological sovereignty expresses the state's ability to make independent decisions on strategic technologies. In other words, the state should not depend only on foreign solutions in the field of critical technologies that determine its development.
“Azerbaijan's recent policy is based on this very approach. The launch of a new stage of digital development in the country under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the adoption of an Action Plan covering 58 specific initiatives for 2026–2028, and the establishment of the Digital Development Council show that artificial intelligence has already been identified as one of the main directions of the country's long-term development strategy. At the first meeting of the Council, First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva clearly expressed the main idea in this direction: «Artificial intelligence is no longer a decisive development factor of the future, but of today». At the same time, the importance of all decisions adopted in the field of artificial intelligence application being in line with Azerbaijan's national interests was particularly emphasized.
This approach is fully consistent with the concept of «national AI policy», which is gaining increasing importance in international practice,” said Sevinj Fataliyeva, adding that one of the striking features of the model chosen by Azerbaijan is that our country is not content with importing artificial intelligence as a ready-made product. On the contrary, the goal is to form national technological capabilities, ensure the security of solutions to be applied in the public sector, and develop local potential.
In this regard, the completion of the selection of 64 graphic processor (GPU) suppliers is an important step: this equipment will form the basis of the computing power needed for the country to build its own artificial intelligence models. The initial version of a virtual citizen assistant that will serve citizens 24/7 on the «mygov» platform has already been put into operation. Roadmaps have been prepared for 40 government agencies, 13 of which have already been approved or are in the approval stage. These are not technical statistics — these are the first visible results of a new philosophy of public administration.
According to her, another important direction is the formation of the legal environment for artificial intelligence technologies. One of the main problems in this area globally is the mismatch between the speed of innovation and legal regulation. The European Union has chosen a risk-based regulation model by adopting the AI Act, the US prefers a more flexible approach, and China applies a model that strengthens state control. Azerbaijan, taking into account international experience, is trying to form its own national model. For this purpose, the creation of a «Regulatory Sandbox» mechanism is envisaged — the relevant draft legal act is already in the final stage. This approach allows new technologies to be tested first in a controlled environment, evaluated from a security and legal point of view, and only then widely applied.
At the same time, the application of artificial intelligence in public administration is not only aimed at automating services. The main goal here is to improve the quality of decision-making, more efficient use of state resources, and increase the flexibility of services provided to citizens. In addition, the phased application of artificial intelligence solutions in healthcare, education, customs and other areas can ensure the transition of public administration to a new quality stage. However, the widespread application of artificial intelligence also brings new risks to the agenda. Algorithmic bias, data privacy, ethical issues, automation of critical decisions, and dependence on foreign technological platforms are among the main topics of international discussions. Therefore, the main task of state policy is not only to promote innovation, but also to ensure the safe, transparent and responsible use of these technologies.
The deputy noted that one of the advantages of Azerbaijan's approach is precisely its choice of a balanced model. On the one hand, innovation, digitalization and technological development are stimulated, and on the other hand, national interests, cybersecurity, legal regulation and state control are kept in the foreground. This shows that our country considers artificial intelligence not only as a technological innovation, but as a strategic resource affecting the future of statehood. In the new stage of global competition, superiority will be gained not only by states with natural resources, but by countries that produce technology, create innovation and effectively manage artificial intelligence. In this regard, Azerbaijan's goal is not only to use digital technologies, but to ensure that they become an integral element of national development, economic modernization and security policy.
“Consequently, artificial intelligence is no longer a technology of the future, but a geopolitical reality of today. The economic power, security capabilities and international competitiveness of states will increasingly depend on their achievements in this field. Azerbaijan's policy shows that our country, by timely evaluating this global transformation, is taking consistent steps towards forming its own artificial intelligence model based on national interests, aiming for safe and long-term development. This approach serves not only technological progress, but also the strengthening of the state's strategic stability and competitiveness,” Sevinj Fataliyeva emphasized.
