The capital of Tajikistan hosted the region’s largest artificial intelligence forum, AI Conf 2025, bringing together more than 400 participants from 15 countries. Held on October 25, the event resulted in $117 million in signed agreements, along with major announcements on AI-driven projects in education, government, and the construction of the world’s first green, hydropowered AI data center in Darvoz district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
The conference was organized by the AI Council under the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, in partnership with zypl.ai and the Area AI consortium. Its goal was to showcase Tajikistan’s growing AI ecosystem and to strengthen international cooperation in the field.
Representatives from the U.S., Canada, UAE, France, UK, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other nations attended. Speakers included leading voices from Google DeepMind, Perplexity AI, Yotta Data Services, Cerebras Systems, and other global AI innovators.
Tajikistan to launch the world’s first special AI economic zone
A highlight of the conference was the signing of an agreement to establish Area AI, the world’s first Special Artificial Intelligence Zone. The initiative aims to create a unified AI development hub by bringing together government, investors, and technology companies.
Azizjon Azimi, Chairman of the AI Council and founder of zypl.ai, noted that Tajikistan was the first country in Central Asia to adopt a National AI Strategy in 2022. The strategy laid the groundwork for a full-fledged AI ecosystem — from research and development to large-scale, green data infrastructure.
Founding members of Area AI include Tajik startups zypl.ai, epsilon3.ai, zehnlab.ai, darya.ai, Qulla AI, alongside international partners from the U.S., UAE, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Notable companies include Yotta Data Services (India), Commercial Bank International X (UAE), and Uzcard (Uzbekistan).
First green AI data center to be built in Darvoz
Sunil Gupta, co-founder of Yotta Data Services, announced a partnership with Tajik firm darya.ai to launch an AI cluster powered by 104 GPU chips in GBAO’s Darvoz district in 2026. Uniquely, the data center will run entirely on hydropower, making it the first green AI data center in the region.
Valued at $4.2 billion, Yotta is one of India’s largest providers of AI infrastructure and currently supports over half of India’s national AI computing power.
Tajikistan launches first national AI education project — Project Soro
Another milestone was the signing of a memorandum for Project Soro, the country’s first national initiative to integrate AI into its education system. The project is a joint effort by the AI Council, UNICEF, and zypl.ai.
At the core of the project is SoroLLM, the first large language model built specifically for the Tajik language, tailored to its cultural and dialectal nuances. It will be integrated into national education platforms like maktabmobile.tj and eDonish to enhance personalized learning and digital skills.
Starting in 2027, the course "Introduction to AI" will become mandatory in 4,000 schools, reaching 2 million students. The economic benefit of the initiative is estimated at $150 million through job creation and AI talent development.
Tajikistan becomes first to deploy Perplexity AI browser in government
AI Conf 2025 also marked the announcement of the world’s first deployment of an agent-based AI browser — Perplexity Comet — in public administration. The pilot project is a collaboration between Perplexity AI, Tajik startup Epsilon3.ai, and the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies.
The browser is designed to automate data search and analysis for government decision-making. In the pilot phase, 140 ministry employees will be trained in Q4 2025. If successful, the initiative may expand across other government institutions in Central Asia.
