More than 400 young specialists registered to participate in the event. Over the course of three days, teams will work under the guidance of mentors from leading national IT companies to develop artificial intelligence–based projects in the fields of healthcare, education, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, and countering the circulation of prohibited substances.
Deputy Governor of Samarkand Region Rustam Qobilov delivered welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony, emphasizing the importance of hosting the hackathon in the region. He noted that Samarkand seeks to combine its rich historical heritage with modern technological development and highlighted the role of active and well-educated youth in shaping the region’s future.
Deputy Head of the Information Technologies Department of the Ministry of Preschool and School Education Sarvar Muminov stated that the hackathon forms part of the systematic efforts to introduce artificial intelligence technologies into the education system.
Advisor to the Director of the Youth Affairs Agency on Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence Hasankhon Yusufkhodjayev, that participants demonstrating strong results will be given opportunities to further develop their projects and attract investment for startup initiatives. He also noted that Uzbekistan is strengthening its position in the field of artificial intelligence in Central Asia and internationally, and that major AI infrastructure projects are planned in the country.
The main sponsor of the hackathon is the Uzum National Digital Ecosystem.
The project is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations, the Youth Affairs Agency, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Cybersecurity Center, IT Park Uzbekistan, Uzinfocom, UNICON, the AI Alliance, as well as AICA and the ML Community.
As part of the program, participants will also attend specialized workshops and seminars conducted by leading experts in the field.
The final stage of the Second Nationwide “AI Hackathon” is scheduled to take place in Tashkent in December 2026.
