Kazakhstan to make ChatGPT Edu the backbone of its education system

Kazakhstan to make ChatGPT Edu the backbone of its education system
OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken 20 May, 2024
Reuters

Kazakhstan has joined the first international education programme launched by OpenAI and plans to introduce the specialised artificial intelligence (AI) system, ChatGPT Edu, into its national education framework.

According to the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, the initiative is designed not as a short-term experiment, but as a structured effort to integrate AI across the full education cycle, from early years learning through to higher education.

Under the programme, Kazakhstan will receive 165 000 ChatGPT Edu licences free of charge for schools, colleges and universities.

The scale of the rollout reflects an ambition to create a unified digital learning environment in which AI becomes a standard tool of academic practice rather than a resource available only to a limited number of institutions.

Commenting on the partnership, the Minister of Science and Higher Education, Saysat Nurbek, described it as a unique project with the potential to lay the foundations for a future-oriented education model.

Nurbek said ChatGPT Edu is viewed as a comprehensive solution for universities, that strengthens the work of lecturers and researchers instead of replacing them.

AI, he stressed, should not be treated as a substitute for human expertise, but as a tool that enhances thinking when used with critical awareness and a responsible culture of application.

Licence distribution

Of the total allocation, 100,000 will be provided to educators in pre-school, school, technical and vocational education, while 62,800 will go to academic and administrative staff in higher and postgraduate education. A further 2,200 licences are intended for participants in the Astana Hub innovation ecosystem.

The structure of the rollout places clear emphasis on supporting those who design curricula, shape teaching methods and lead research, rather than focusing exclusively on students as end users of the technology.

Financial model

The ministry has stated that the deployment of ChatGPT Edu will be funded entirely through private investment, with no resources drawn from the state budget and no reliance on external grants.

This enables the government to position the initiative as a strategic partnership with the technology sector, while avoiding additional pressure on public finances and maintaining the need for transparent oversight and measurable outcomes.

Nurbek has also pointed to the practical benefits the system is expected to deliver. These include faster preparation of teaching materials, improved quality of feedback for students and new opportunities for academic research.

At the same time, he emphasised that Kazakhstan’s longer-term objective goes beyond training users of Artificial Intelligence. The broader aim, he said, is to create an environment in which future developers and innovators in AI can emerge.

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