Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate the Discovery of Deposits: Astana Discusses Digital Transformation of the Geological Sector

A meeting on the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies in the geological sector was held today at the Government under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev.

The discussion was attended by Minister of Industry and Construction Yersaiyn Nagaspayev, representatives of national IT holdings, and experts from international and domestic technology companies.

The work to integrate intelligent solutions into subsoil use is being carried out in fulfilment of a direct instruction from Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the accelerated digitalisation of geology and the creation of a high-technology ecosystem in the industrial sector.

The project is aimed at developing the Unified Subsoil Use Platform, which will combine Big Data, machine vision, and predictive analytics to cover at least 90% of all geological data in the country.

During the meeting, representatives of EPAM Kazakhstan LLP presented a progress report on the development of data processing and storage subsystems: to date, more than 1 terabyte of data has been processed and a prototype AI solution has been launched.

Terra GeoCube presented the GeoCube model, which identifies promising zones for geological exploration by analysing satellite imagery and historical archives, significantly increasing the probability of discovering new deposits while reducing field costs.

Participants paid particular attention to infrastructure issues. Processing the accumulated 500 terabytes of data requires the modernisation of communication channels to 25 Gbps and the allocation of capacity on the Alem.cloud supercomputer. National Information Technologies JSC was instructed to provide the project with the necessary resources, including specialised graphics processing units (GPUs) and disk storage of up to 2 petabytes.

Summarising the meeting, Zhaslan Madiyev emphasised the strategic importance of the initiative for the national economy: "In fulfilment of the Head of State's instruction, we are moving to the practical deployment of technologies in one of the key sectors of the economy. The use of artificial intelligence in geology is not merely automation — it is a direct economic efficiency tool that will dramatically reduce the time needed to locate resources and ensure process transparency for investors. Our task is to remove all barriers, from infrastructure to regulatory, so that the project becomes a benchmark for digital transformation in the sector."

Following the meeting, Astana Hub ACF was instructed to accelerate the signing of all necessary project agreements by 1 June 2026. Akimats and relevant agencies were directed to promptly provide updated data on subsoil use restriction layers.