From MyID to Mukhlisa: How AI Is Quietly Reshaping Bureaucracy Across Central Asia

From MyID to Mukhlisa: How AI Is Quietly Reshaping Bureaucracy Across Central Asia

If you have ever spent a full day queuing at a government office in Tashkent or Astana, clutching a folder of photocopied documents, you already know the pain that Central Asia's new wave of AI-powered public services is trying to cure. Across the region, governments are rolling out biometric identification, AI chatbots, and digital service portals that promise to replace paperwork with a smartphone selfie. The question is whether the technology is genuinely transforming the citizen-state relationship, or simply digitising the same old bureaucracy.

Uzbekistan's MyID: The Selfie That Replaced the Queue

Uzbekistan has arguably moved fastest. Its MyID biometric identification system, developed by IT Park-backed engineers, uses AI-powered facial recognition and liveness detection to verify citizens remotely. No office visit required, no stack of notarised papers, just a front-facing camera and an internet connection.

The numbers tell the story. MyID now has over 14.5 million registered users and has processed more than 130 million authorisations since launch. It connects to 28 commercial banks, 17 payment systems, five marketplaces, and six government bodies. Citizens use it to open bank accounts, sign insurance contracts, apply for instalment plans, and access public services through the my.gov.uz portal, all without leaving their sofa.

By 2026, we plan to launch a standard business reporting platform integrated with biometric verification, streamlining how enterprises interact with the state.

In January 2026, the government went further. A presidential resolution introduced automatic OneID registration for anyone receiving a new national ID card, bundling a free electronic digital signature into the process. As of February 2026, every new ID card issued in Uzbekistan automatically enrols its holder in the digital identity ecosystem.

The Biometric Backbone: From Banking to SIM Cards

The ripple effects of MyID extend well beyond government counters. In March 2026, Uzbekistan mandated biometric verification for all new telecom subscribers, requiring mobile operators to authenticate users through MyID or in-person checks at my.gov.uz. The regulation, effective since 6 January 2026, aims to crush the wave of SIM-card fraud that had plagued the country's rapidly growing mobile market.

This is not just a convenience story. It is a fundamental rewiring of how 80 million Central Asians interact with their governments. And Uzbekistan is not alone in the race.

Kazakhstan's eGov Push: 54 Million Services and Counting

Across the border, Kazakhstan declared 2026 its official Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signing the decree on 6 January. The ambition is sweeping: at least 50 government services powered by AI, 80% of civil servants using digital workstations, and 99% high-speed internet coverage nationwide.

The Head of State has declared 2026 the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. Our main goal is to introduce advanced technologies into all sectors of the economy. At the same time, every citizen must feel the practical effect of this work.

Kazakhstan's eGov Mobile app already delivered 54 million public services in 2025. The 2026 roadmap includes AI-powered service enhancements, three new data centres with 12.9 megawatts of capacity, and high-speed internet expansion to 1,900 additional rural villages. The country's Alem.ai centre in Astana, Central Asia's first international AI hub, houses a supercomputing cluster built on NVIDIA H200 chips that ranked 86th globally on the TOP500 list.

The Human Side: What Digital Government Actually Feels Like

The statistics are impressive, but what does this mean for an ordinary citizen in Samarkand or Shymkent?

For Uzbek users, it means applying for a marriage certificate through a chatbot rather than spending three days navigating a registry office. It means verifying your identity for a bank loan while sitting in a marshrutka. It means a telecom company cannot sell a SIM card in your name without your face confirming the transaction.

For Kazakh users, it means filing tax documents through a mobile app, accessing emergency alerts through the Aitu messenger, and eventually interacting with government services through AI agents that speak Kazakh, Russian, and English.

The Risks Nobody Is Talking About

Not everyone is cheering. Civil society groups in both countries have raised questions about what happens when a government that already controls the bureaucracy also controls the biometric database. In Kazakhstan, critics note that mandating Aitu for all government and military communications, while framing it as a digital sovereignty measure, also creates a single, state-controlled communications channel that could be monitored or restricted.

Uzbekistan's mandatory biometric SIM registration, meanwhile, creates a near-complete digital identity trail for every mobile user. The system is designed to prevent fraud, but privacy advocates worry it could just as easily enable surveillance, particularly in a region where press freedom and civil liberties remain contested.

• Both countries lack comprehensive data protection laws comparable to the EU's GDPR
• Biometric data, once compromised, cannot be reset like a password
• Government-mandated apps create single points of failure and potential censorship chokepoints
• Rural populations with limited internet access risk being left behind by digital-first services
• The line between digital convenience and digital control remains blurry across the region

Where the Rest of Central Asia Stands

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan lag behind their neighbours, though Kyrgyzstan has made tentative steps with its Tunduk data exchange system. The digital divide within the region mirrors a broader pattern: countries with oil wealth (Kazakhstan) or reform momentum (Uzbekistan) are racing ahead, while others risk becoming digital backwaters in an increasingly connected world.

The competition between Astana and Tashkent is itself a healthy sign. When Kazakhstan launches Alem.ai, Uzbekistan responds with expanded MyID integration. When Uzbekistan mandates biometric SIM cards, Kazakhstan pushes Aitu adoption across the public sector. The citizens of both countries benefit from this quiet arms race, provided the safeguards keep pace with the ambition.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Uzbekistan's MyID system and how does it work?

MyID is a mobile biometric identification app that uses AI-powered facial recognition and liveness detection to verify Uzbek citizens remotely. Users simply point their smartphone camera at their face, and the system authenticates their identity for banking, government services, insurance, and other transactions without requiring physical documents or office visits.

Has Kazakhstan mandated the Aitu messenger for government use?

Yes. President Tokayev ordered all government agencies, quasi-public organisations, and the Armed Forces to adopt the domestically developed Aitu messenger for official communications. The mandate, which took effect in September 2025, requires sensitive exchanges involving personal data and health records to move off foreign platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram onto Aitu.

How do Central Asian digital government systems compare to those in Southeast Asia?

Central Asia's biometric systems are technically competitive with Southeast Asian peers, particularly Uzbekistan's MyID, which rivals Singapore's Singpass in functionality. However, the regulatory environment lags behind. Countries like Singapore and South Korea have stronger data protection frameworks, while Central Asian nations are still developing theirs.

What are the privacy risks of biometric government systems in Central Asia?

The primary concerns include the absence of comprehensive data protection legislation, the concentration of biometric data in government-controlled systems, the potential for surveillance, and the risk that mandatory digital identity systems could be used to restrict civil liberties. Biometric data is uniquely sensitive because, unlike passwords, it cannot be changed if compromised.

If Central Asia's AI-driven government revolution succeeds, it could become a model for developing nations worldwide. If it stumbles on privacy and accountability, it will serve as a cautionary tale. Either way, 80 million citizens are already living the experiment. Drop your take in the comments below.