68% of banks in three Central Asian countries have already implemented AI in their work

Commercial banks in Central Asian countries show a high level of involvement in the development of artificial intelligence. This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted as part of the analytical report “Artificial Intelligence in the Financial Markets of Central Asia,” which covered 53 banks in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

The survey was conducted to assess the current state of AI implementation, identify banks' strategic priorities, and identify key barriers to the development of digital projects.

According to the results of the study, 68% of banks (36 respondents) already use artificial intelligence technologies in their activities. Another 32% (17 survey participants) have not yet implemented such solutions.

At the same time, interest in the further development of AI remains high. Thus, 77% of organizations (41 banks) plan to expand the use of artificial intelligence in the coming year. Only 23% (12 respondents) are not considering the introduction of new AI tools in the short term.

The authors of the study note that banks are significantly ahead of other financial organizations in the region in terms of digitalization.

Banks also demonstrate a high level of understanding of the strategic role of artificial intelligence. Thus, 70% of survey participants consider AI to be critical to the future success of their organization. The remaining 30% (16 respondents) take a neutral position.

At the same time, none of the banks surveyed completely denied the importance of AI for business development.

The study shows that banks in the region are at different stages of digital transformation. The most common form is partial AI implementation, with 32% of organizations having passed this stage. Another 26% of banks are at the stage of studying technologies, 23% are implementing pilot projects, and only 8% (4 banks) have achieved full implementation of AI-based solutions.

The transition to large-scale use of AI remains one of the key tasks for the banking sector in the coming years.

Banks primarily use AI to improve customer service quality and optimize operational processes. Among the priority areas are service automation, data analysis, fraud prevention, and personalization of financial products.