Central Asian Companies Adopt AI at Twice the Global Rate

Companies across Central Asia and the Caucasus are putting artificial intelligence into production at more than twice the global rate, according to KPMG’s 2026 technology report, cited by Euronews.

The study found that 53 percent of organizations in the region have already introduced AI at the production level and are seeing measurable results. The comparable global figure is 24 percent. The survey questioned more than 2,500 technology leaders from 27 countries, including 32 respondents from Central Asia and 40 from the Caucasus.

The researchers cautioned that some respondents may have classified individual tools, including text-based or voice-based bots, as production-level AI deployments. Even so, companies in the region showed a stronger appetite for experimentation. Forty-four percent said they prefer to test new technologies actively rather than wait for them to become widely adopted. Globally, that figure was 21 percent.

KPMG linked the trend in part to the region’s relatively advanced digitization. Many organizations already have infrastructure for managing databases and connecting external systems, which allows them to deploy AI solutions more quickly.

The rapid uptake also exposes a weakness in the region’s approach. Only 34 percent of companies have a clear AI strategy, compared with 76 percent globally. Just 25 percent have a governance system overseeing AI use across departments, while the worldwide figure is 69 percent.