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Akbar Novruz

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Artificial intelligence is expected to become one of the key drivers of Azerbaijan's digital transformation over the coming years. By assigning specific state agencies to oversee AI development across 12 priority sectors, the government aims to establish clear institutional responsibilities while accelerating the adoption of AI-driven solutions in public administration and the economy.

The strategy envisions improvements in areas ranging from healthcare and education to finance, transport and public services, with a particular focus on strengthening the country's AI ecosystem, developing local expertise and enhancing public service delivery.

However, questions remain over how quickly these ambitions can be translated into practical results, whether the planned timeframe is realistic, and how different institutions will coordinate AI implementation across interconnected sectors.

To discuss these issues, AzerNEWS spoke with Ilkin Ahmadov, an artificial intelligence and business process automation specialist, who shared his views on the opportunities and challenges surrounding Azerbaijan's AI Strategy for 2025–2028:

- In your opinion, which sector will see the greatest impact from artificial intelligence?

- I believe artificial intelligence will have the greatest impact on public services, healthcare, and education. These are the sectors where millions of pieces of information are processed every day, thousands of decisions are made, and the highest level of interaction with citizens takes place. In healthcare, AI will not replace doctors, but it will significantly accelerate diagnostic processes, improve the analysis of medical images, and support the early detection of diseases. This will save time for patients while also making healthcare systems more efficient. Education is another area undergoing a major transformation. Around the world, personalized learning models are becoming increasingly common. AI can analyze each student's learning pace, identify strengths and weaknesses, and adapt teaching methods accordingly. This is far more effective than the traditional 'one-size-fits-all' approach.

However, I believe the most visible transformation will occur in public services because they directly affect citizens' daily lives. Automating application processing, document verification, responding to citizen inquiries, and supporting administrative decision-making can make interactions with government institutions much faster and more convenient. One point deserves particular emphasis. People often imagine artificial intelligence as humanoid robots or futuristic technologies. In reality, the most effective AI is invisible. Citizens simply notice that a service which previously took a week is now completed in a day, or that hours spent waiting in line have been reduced to just a few minutes. The success of AI will not be measured by people saying, 'We are using artificial intelligence.' It will be measured by people saying, 'Our lives have become easier.'

Artificial intelligence is also becoming an increasingly important economic tool. Today, AI is no longer just another technological innovation, it is a driver of global competitiveness. Countries that integrate AI effectively are more productive, use resources more efficiently, and make faster, better-informed decisions. In the future, I believe countries will not be divided into those that develop AI and those that do not. Instead, the distinction will be between those that successfully implement AI and those that fail to do so. From this perspective, Azerbaijan's decision to prioritize sectors such as public services, healthcare, education, finance, transport, and other strategic areas is the right approach. Improvements in these sectors will be directly felt by citizens while also contributing to stronger economic competitiveness and a more advanced AI ecosystem.

- The 2025–2028 strategy covers a relatively short period. How realistic is it to move from pilot projects to full-scale implementation within three years?

- Three years can be both a long and a short period when it comes to technology. If the objective is to transform the entire public sector into an AI-powered ecosystem, three years would clearly not be enough. However, if the goal is to develop practical solutions in carefully selected priority areas and demonstrate measurable results, then the timeframe is entirely realistic. Experience from leading countries shows that successful AI transformation has never happened overnight. Governments typically begin with pilot projects, evaluate their performance, refine the models, and only then move toward large-scale implementation.

In my opinion, the real issue is not how many pilot projects are launched. Any organization can develop dozens of pilots. The more important question is how many of those projects become part of everyday operations. That is the true measure of success. By 2028, I hope to see functioning AI systems rather than hundreds of presentations. One of the greatest risks facing AI initiatives worldwide is what experts call 'pilot purgatory', projects that produce promising results but never move beyond the testing stage because of poor data quality, inadequate legal frameworks, limited infrastructure, or a shortage of qualified professionals. For Azerbaijan, I do not believe technology itself will be the biggest challenge. The more pressing issues will be improving data quality, advancing the digitalization of public institutions, and developing a workforce capable of working with AI technologies. Artificial intelligence is only as reliable as the data it receives. Poor-quality data inevitably leads to poor-quality outcomes.

Therefore, I see the 2025–2028 period primarily as a phase of building the country's AI infrastructure. If Azerbaijan succeeds in standardizing databases, improving information exchange between government institutions, strengthening its pool of AI specialists, and introducing practical AI services that citizens can genuinely benefit from, the strategy can already be considered a success. Ultimately, the strategy should not be evaluated by the number of AI projects announced, but by the improvements people experience in their everyday lives. If citizens receive faster public services, doctors diagnose illnesses more quickly, and teachers gain better tools to assess students, then AI will have fulfilled its purpose. The strategy itself places strong emphasis on phased implementation, human capital development, infrastructure, and ecosystem building. Recent efforts to define measurable performance indicators also suggest that Azerbaijan is aiming for results-driven implementation rather than simply launching pilot initiatives.

- How will assigning responsible institutions to the 12 priority sectors help address cross-sector coordination challenges? Is there a need for a unified monitoring mechanism?

- I believe identifying responsible state institutions at the outset is a crucial step. One of the main reasons large-scale digital transformation projects fail is the absence of clearly defined responsibilities. It must be clear who is responsible, who makes decisions, and who evaluates results. However, artificial intelligence differs from many other technologies because it rarely operates within the boundaries of a single institution. Financial services are connected to the broader economy. The economy is linked to public services. Public services rely on cybersecurity and data protection. Healthcare interacts closely with social protection. These sectors are deeply interconnected.

If every institution develops AI projects independently without exchanging information or coordinating efforts, the overall effectiveness of AI implementation will be significantly reduced. That is why a unified coordination and monitoring mechanism is essential. It is encouraging that the adopted strategy already establishes a legal framework for this. Overall coordination has been assigned to the Cabinet of Ministers, while monitoring and evaluation will be carried out by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication. This provides an institutional foundation for overseeing AI implementation across different government bodies. At the same time, the practical implementation of this framework will be equally important. For example, all responsible institutions should work with common key performance indicators (KPIs), standardized data-sharing protocols, regular public reporting on AI projects, and mechanisms to prevent duplicate initiatives that perform the same function.

The greatest asset of AI is not software, it is high-quality data. If each institution keeps its data isolated within its own systems, artificial intelligence will only realize a fraction of its potential. Going forward, Azerbaijan should focus as much on governance as it does on technology. Today, the global AI race is not being won by those who develop the most sophisticated algorithms. It is being won by those who build the strongest data governance systems. I believe this should become Azerbaijan's primary priority as well. Such an approach fully aligns with both the objectives of Azerbaijan's AI Strategy and international best practices in AI governance.