Effective July 2, 2025, Hikmatilla Ubaydullaev has been appointed as the acting Executive Director of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Central Asia (AICA). The decision was made by AICA Chairman Vladimir Imamovich Norov.
Hikmatilla Ubaydullaev is an expert in strategic communications, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence. He is the founder and head of AIM Lab, a private laboratory implementing projects at the intersection of generative AI, education, and applied solutions in the field of automation and data analysis.
Previously, he held leadership positions within the structures of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In particular, he headed the press service of the Agency of Information and Mass Communications under the Administration of the President, and also served as the press secretary of the Public Fund for Support and Development of National Mass Media. From 2022 to 2023, he held the position of leading consultant on ICT and public projects in the Presidential Administration.
In a statement, acting Executive Director of AICA, Hikmatilla Ubaydullaev, noted:
Our main goal is to create a sustainable artificial intelligence ecosystem in Central Asia, where AI serves society, supports reforms, and becomes a driver of high-quality development.
The focus is on training personnel. We are launching a national program called “AI Maktab,” aimed at training schoolchildren, students, and young professionals. It will combine digital literacy, the basics of machine learning, working with neural networks, AI ethics, and skills in applying technologies to real-world tasks. We want young people from the regions not to be left out of global processes and to be able to participate in the development of AI not only as users, but as developers, researchers, and entrepreneurs.
The second priority is the implementation of AI solutions in key sectors: education, healthcare, public services, the judicial system, and ecology. We are already cooperating with a number of departments and implementing pilot projects. The goal is to make AI an accessible tool for solving practical problems, improving the quality of services, and increasing transparency.
We have signed memorandums with leading universities and institutes to train specialists and organize training programs in European AI centers. We are also in dialogue with key global players — such as OpenAI, Meta, Hugging Face, etc. — to establish partnerships, attract expertise, and adapt best practices to the regional context.
AICA will become an open platform for the community: we are gathering AI Ambassadors, AI Women Leaders, ML communities, and will hold hackathons, forums, workshops, and pitch sessions for startups. This will be not just an association — it will be a center of ideas, experiments, collaboration, and growth.
We believe that the future of AI in the region should be not only technological, but also humane. Our mission is to ensure that AI develops ethically, fairly, and with maximum benefit to society.
The Chairman of AICA is Vladimir Imamovich Norov — a statesman, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, former Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The Artificial Intelligence Association of Central Asia (AICA) is an international non-governmental non-profit organization founded to coordinate efforts to implement AI in 12 priority sectors of the region, support educational and research initiatives, and promote the principles of digital ethics.