The American tech giant OpenAI, known for its popular product ChatGPT, has officially registered for tax purposes in Uzbekistan.
For several months now, ChatGPT has consistently ranked among the top apps in terms of installations, claiming the 1st and 2nd spots. While the service remains accessible for free, users can unlock additional features with a subscription.
For example, one local user shares their positive experience with the service, explaining how they subscribed to a $20 per month plan, which provided access to advanced models like o3-mini and o1, significantly enhancing both work and daily tasks.
With the company's registration for tax purposes, Uzbekistan will now apply VAT to ChatGPT subscriptions. This could result in price increases for local users. Nevertheless, many are optimistic about the ongoing availability and development of the service.
Additionally, OpenAI isn't the only American company making strides in Uzbekistan. Cloud provider DigitalOcean has also registered in the country, ensuring it can continue offering its hosting services without hindrance. Many Uzbek businesses rely on DigitalOcean for affordable and reliable hosting solutions, making this development a positive one for the local tech ecosystem.
Uzbekistan currently hosts 67 registered foreign internet companies. Seven of these were added at the start of this year, with eBay from Switzerland and Alibaba Cloud among them.
ChatGPT's Growth and Uzbekistan's AI Goals
In December 2024, ChatGPT secured the fourth spot among the most popular websites in Uzbekistan. The platform's annual traffic surged by an astonishing 6,261,948.5%, reaching 42.73mn visits.
The president of Uzbekistan has approved the AI Development Strategy through 2030, with several key goals outlined:
- Boost AI-related developments to $1.5bn;
- Integrate AI into public services, aiming for up to 10% of services on the Unified Portal of Interactive Public Services;
- Establish 10 research labs and deploy cutting-edge computing servers;
- Position Uzbekistan among the top 50 countries in terms of AI readiness.
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