iFLYTEK Officially Launches Open Platform in Central Asia, Positioning Uzbekistan as a New Regional AI Hub

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, July 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global artificial intelligence leader iFLYTEK officially launched iFLYTEK Open Platform Central Asia during the 2026 iFLYTEK Open Platform Central Asia Launch Event held in Tashkent on July 1. Under the theme "Let's Spark Central Asia with AI," the event marked the company's official entry into the Central Asian market and highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in driving digital transformation across the region.

The launch represents a significant milestone in iFLYTEK's global expansion strategy and reflects Central Asia's increasing importance as an emerging market for AI innovation. Rather than introducing a single product, the event showcased a comprehensive AI ecosystem designed to empower enterprises, universities, developers, and technology partners to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence in real-world applications.

Opening the event, organizers emphasized that artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the new infrastructure of the digital economy. Across the world, AI is transforming public services, finance, education, telecommunications, manufacturing, and international trade. As Central Asia accelerates its digital transformation, demand is growing for secure, scalable, and localized AI solutions capable of supporting multilingual environments and industry-specific requirements.

The event featured opening remarks by Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who highlighted the importance of international cooperation in advancing the country's digital economy. Participants were also welcomed by Richard Yu, Senior Vice President of iFLYTEK and President of the Consumer Business Group. The keynote address was delivered by William Zhou, Vice President of iFLYTEK Open Platform and President of Overseas Business, who presented the company's long-term vision for expanding AI infrastructure, developer ecosystems, and cross-border collaboration throughout Central Asia.

A key focus of the event was the importance of localized AI for Central Asia. Supporting more than 130 languages, enabling private deployment, and offering industry-specific AI solutions, the iFLYTEK Open Platform is designed to address regional language diversity while ensuring data security and compliance. These capabilities provide organizations with the flexibility to develop AI applications tailored to local needs while benefiting from world-class AI technologies. 

Representatives from Nazarbayev University, Huakun Intelligent Technology International, and Instadesk also shared insights into AI research, cloud infrastructure, enterprise deployment, and intelligent applications. Their presentations reinforced that sustainable AI innovation requires close collaboration among academia, technology providers, enterprises, and developers. 

Founded in 1999, iFLYTEK has become one of the leading AI companies in the Asia Pacific region, winning 71 international AI championships (since 2017) and providing access to 981 AI capabilities through its Open Platform. Today, the platform is trusted by more than 11.46 million developers, while iFLYTEK technologies are deployed across over 4.3 billion devices worldwide. 

The launch of iFLYTEK Open Platform Central Asia creates new opportunities to accelerate digital transformation across Uzbekistan and the wider Central Asian region. By supporting AI adoption in finance, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and enterprise services, the platform will help cultivate local AI talent, empower developers, strengthen international collaboration, and foster the development of an open regional AI ecosystem.

The official launch in Tashkent marks not only a major milestone for Central Asia but also another important step in iFLYTEK's mission to build an open, secure, and multilingual global AI ecosystem that enables sustainable economic growth and digital innovation worldwide.