AI Trajectories in Business: Results of the AI Future Forum

From April 17–19, 2024, the TechnoWomen Central Asia AI Future forum was held in Astana, bringing together speakers and guests from the United States, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and other countries.

The main theme of the forum was artificial intelligence and its impact on our lives — its risks and opportunities, the application of AI in business and science, in educational institutions and workforce training, and its impact on family and personal life.

Yuliya Yakupbayeva, Chairperson of the Sustainable Development and ESG Council of the “Atameken” National Chamber of Entrepreneurs and Deputy Chairperson of the Management Board of TechnoWomen, moderated the session “AI and New Business Opportunities”.

“According to experts, generative AI will have the greatest impact on sectors such as high-tech, banking, complex machine building, and trade, as well as on knowledge-based work — especially activities related to decision-making and collaboration. It was with this in mind that the speaker lineup for this session was carefully chosen”, noted Yuliya Yakupbayeva.

As the session’s experts explained, AI has already found its place in the practical operations of companies, and its application is shaping new drivers of growth.

Ablaikhan Ospanov, Managing Director of Freedom Bank, spoke about the successful application of AI for risk management, operational automation, and improved customer service in the financial sector.

“Digitalization significantly helps banks automate processes, successfully detect fraud, and reduce risks. Artificial intelligence expands opportunities for FinTech — it is capable of collecting large volumes of data and analyzing them within minutes. In addition, chatbots and other AI-based tools are already helping to generate recommendations for clients, offering them the best financial solutions”, noted Ablaikhan Ospanov.

Ilya Kharmats, Head of Production Systems Development at Business & Technology Services (part of ERG), shared his experience applying AI in the industrial sector. The ERG group of companies is already testing the deployment of autonomous haul trucks, which will appear at the Vostochny open pit in Ekibastuz, part of ERG Kazakhstan.

The group also uses an MES system that helps smelting operators monitor the production process and quickly assess the “here and now” situation based on more than 7,000 primary parameters. The system includes an AI-based digital assistant, MesAlina, which collects and processes information on most production indicators and shows operators and line management the current progress of shift work.

The project has been implemented at the Aktobe Ferroalloys Plant, with plans to roll it out across all enterprises of the Group.

Vitaly Pustovoitenko, IT architect at the Astana Sustainable Development Center, spoke about how AI can be applied in housing and utilities management.

“90% of homeowners’ association chairpersons and building managers experience emotional exhaustion. Our task is to reduce this figure by at least half by introducing AI for initial dialogue with residents, as well as to find ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs in housing and utilities management”, emphasized Vitaly Pustovoitenko.

Irina Mamatova, Marketing Director at GPI Group, spoke about how AI can be used to increase business productivity and improve customer service, sharing practical cases of developing AI assistants and their application in everyday life and business.

Session participants emphasized the importance of sharing experience and further developing technological skills, and noted the significance of AI for new business models and improving the operational efficiency of companies of any size.