Kazakhstan-based Cybernet AI has unveiled the largest automatic speech recognition (ASR) model designed specifically for Turkic languages, marking a first for both Central Asia and the global Turkic-language AI ecosystem.
Developed with support from Astana Hub and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, and trained on Microsoft GPU infrastructure, the model was built from the ground up for Turkic linguistics rather than adapted from English-focused systems.
The ASR system supports Kazakh, Turkish, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, and Tatar, and accurately recognizes mixed Turkic–Russian speech, a common feature of real-world communication across the region. Developers say this overcomes long-standing limitations of international speech-recognition tools, which often struggle with Turkic phonetics, accents, and code-switching.
Astana Hub Managing Director Tanat Uskembayev said the technology enables businesses and governments to scale digital services in native languages without sacrificing quality, while positioning Kazakhstan as a regional AI developer rather than a consumer.
Targeted at banks, telecom operators, contact centers, logistics firms, and public agencies, the model is designed for high-volume voice interactions and can reduce support costs through continuous, automated service. It remains effective despite background noise, accents, and language switching within a single sentence.
Cybernet AI CTO Rashid Ismailov said the company deliberately avoided modifying foreign models, aiming instead to create a system that naturally understands everyday Turkic speech and contributes to regional technological sovereignty.
Cybernet AI operates in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, the United States, Mexico, and Egypt, with projects underway in the UK and EU, and supports 34 languages across its AI solutions.
Kyrgyzstan was also reported to be moving to strengthen the role of national languages in the media space. From March 2026, authorities will begin monitoring television broadcasters to ensure compliance with a legal requirement that at least 60% of prime-time content be in the Kyrgyz language, with enforcement measures expected by the end of the year.
At the regional level, Turkic-language cooperation has been gaining momentum. In October 2025, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed the need to deepen practical collaboration within the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) during the Council of Heads of State meeting in Gabala, where leaders discussed regional integration, trade, security, and the expanding global role of the Turkic world.
