Azerbaijan’s vision for a digital economy is no longer a distant ambition—it is a rapidly unfolding reality that is becoming increasingly embedded in the country’s national development strategy. Artificial intelligence (AI), now a key driver of global economic growth and innovation, is gaining strategic importance worldwide, with governments investing heavily in its development. Recognizing that AI is a trend that cannot be overlooked, Azerbaijan is also working to integrate this transformative technology into its economic framework to support progress and competitiveness. Alongside AI, initiatives in the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and automation reflect the country’s commitment to embracing emerging technologies and aligning with global digital trends.
This week, Baku hosted the opening of the VI International Conference on Problems of Cybernetics and Informatics (PCI 2025) - an event that serves not only as a scientific forum but also as a reflection of Azerbaijan’s strategic alignment with the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution. Organized at the Institute of Control Systems under the Ministry of Science and Education, the three-day hybrid conference has drawn over 200 leading scientists, policymakers, and technologists from more than 30 countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, and France.
The PCI conference underscores a critical transformation in Azerbaijan’s approach to science and technology. It is not just about academic exploration - it is about embedding innovation into the core of national policy. From control systems and signal processing to optimization, AI, and image recognition, the event's thematic focus reveals how seriously the country is taking the foundational elements of digital transformation.
Professor Ali Abbasov, Director General of the Institute of Control Systems, emphasized in his address that Azerbaijani science has entered a “new phase of development” - a phase driven by both government support and technological urgency. Natural language processing, smart decision-making systems, and intelligent automation are not only research areas but critical tools for statecraft, security, and economic resilience.
“Artificial intelligence has become a defining feature of modern science. In Azerbaijan, its importance is increasingly recognized at both the scientific and policy levels,” Abbasov stated.
While Azerbaijan is making visible progress in AI research and applications, Professor Rasim Aliguliyev, Vice-President of ANAS and Director of the Institute of Information Technologies, offered a more cautionary tone. His remarks highlighted the dual nature of AI development—full of promise, yet fraught with strategic vulnerabilities.
“Artificial intelligence opens immense opportunities, but it also introduces serious risks—particularly in cybersecurity. As threats become more intelligent, our defensive systems must evolve in tandem,” Aliguliyev warned.
His comments reflect growing international concern that the rise of intelligent threats - including state-sponsored cyberattacks and algorithmic misinformation - poses as much danger as the benefits AI brings. He further stressed that cyber sovereignty is now a key national priority.
Aliguliyev also drew attention to an important domestic gap: a lack of structured historical understanding of AI development in Azerbaijan. Without proper documentation and public dissemination, the country risks disconnecting future generations from the scientific foundations that underpin today’s technological advances.
“We must systematize the research of Azerbaijani scientists conducted over the last 60 years and make this accessible to society,” he said.
One of the conference's underlying themes is the urgent need for AI literacy among youth. Both Abbasov and Aliguliyev stressed that the next generation must not only consume technology but understand its evolution, ethics, and implications.
This aligns with Azerbaijan's broader strategic goals, particularly its ambition to nurture a digitally competent workforce capable of participating in and contributing to the global knowledge economy.
The conference’s agenda, ranging from optimal control theory to fuzzy decision-making models, indicates a maturing scientific ecosystem.
PCI 2025 reflects Azerbaijan’s growing focus on digital transformation. With continued investment, international collaboration, and capacity-building, the country is working to strengthen its position in the field of AI and digital technologies within the region.
But as experts at the conference have made clear, this journey demands not only enthusiasm and innovation but also strategic foresight, institutional memory, and robust cybersecurity frameworks. Azerbaijan's AI future will be shaped not just by what it builds, but by how responsibly and securely it builds it.
