AI-Enabled Digital Transformation for Economic Diversification in Kazakhstan: Towards a Responsible AI Governance Framework
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Kazakhstan's long-standing dependence on hydrocarbon and extractive-sector revenue has left the national economy exposed to commodity-price volatility and has sharpened policymakers' interest in digital transformation as a route to diversification. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly positioned as a general-purpose technology capable of accelerating this transition, yet the literature connecting AI governance, digital transformation, and economic diversification in Kazakhstan and comparable Central Asian economies remains thin. This conceptual paper synthesises evidence from national digital-economy strategy, technology-adoption theory, and international AI governance instruments to develop a Responsible AI Governance Framework for AI-Enabled Economic Diversification (RAI-ED). The framework integrates eight interdependent layers spanning national strategic context, digital foundations, governance principles, institutional readiness, AI technologies, sectoral transformation, economic outcomes, and long-term national impact. The paper argues that responsible AI governance should be treated as a foundational enabler of digital transformation rather than a compliance afterthought, and it offers a phased implementation roadmap together with policy recommendations for government, industry, and higher education. The paper closes with a future research agenda oriented toward emerging-economy contexts and Central Asian comparative studies.
Source: Research Square
Language: English
Subfield: Strategy and Management
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7202206180