President Ilham Aliyev approved the Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2025–2028 as a comprehensive plan to position the country as a regional AI leader. The strategy includes establishment of an AI Academy for public education, training programmes for state officials and key private-sector personnel, and updates to school and university curricula to develop a skilled AI workforce. International partnerships are included, notably a memorandum of understanding with Israel for joint training programmes and project-based learning. The strategy also covers AI research funding and an investment environment for the AI sector.
Who it affects: State officials and civil servants are direct targets for early training. School and university students are affected through planned curriculum updates. The general public is addressed through the AI Academy initiative, which is framed as a citizen education resource. Private sector employees are targeted through industry training programmes, though no binding employer obligation is created.
What is notably missing: The strategy is a government plan without binding legal obligations on employers to train staff. School curriculum updates are planned but not yet enacted in law; no implementation timeline for the curriculum changes has been published. The AI Academy is a planned institution, not yet operational. Civil servant training is mentioned as a priority but no defined standard or verification mechanism has been announced. The strategy lacks an independent oversight or enforcement structure; implementation accountability rests with the same ministry bodies driving the strategy.