Source: CWB

As reported by CWB, the Parliament of Kazakhstan adopted the nation's first comprehensive Law on Artificial Intelligence on October 29, 2024, which was subsequently signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on November 17, 2024. This landmark legislation, the first of its kind in Central Asia, is scheduled to enter into force on January 18, 2026. The primary objective of the law is to establish a unified legal and organizational framework that balances rapid technological innovation with ethical standards, safety, and the protection of fundamental human rights within the digital space.

The new regulatory framework introduces a risk-based classification system for AI applications and explicitly prohibits several high-risk practices. These include the use of manipulative or subconscious techniques, the exploitation of vulnerable groups, and unauthorized social scoring or emotion recognition. Furthermore, the law mandates the clear labeling of synthetic content—such as AI-generated text, audio, and video—to protect citizens from disinformation and deepfakes. It also requires developers to implement preventive measures to avoid harm and establishes liability for damage caused by AI systems under the Civil Code of Kazakhstan.

In the realm of intellectual property, the AI Law clarifies that copyright protection is strictly reserved for works of human authorship, effectively excluding purely AI-generated content. However, it introduces a novel provision recognizing that creative textual prompts may be recognized as copyrightable works if they demonstrate significant human intellectual effort. Additionally, the law supports the development of a national AI platform to foster local innovation and attract international investment, positioning Kazakhstan as a regional leader in the AI economy.