In June 2024, the Global Center on AI Governance released the first edition of the Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI). As part of the study, the Center collaborated with 16 regional hubs, including the Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), which oversaw Eastern Europe and Central Asia (12 countries), to assess a total of 138 countries.

The Global Index on Responsible AI measures 19 thematic areas of responsible AI, which are clustered into 3 dimensions: 

- Human Rights and AI

- Responsible AI Governance

- Responsible AI Capacities

The results for each thematic area are measured according to three distinct pillars.

- Government frameworks

- Government actions

- Non-state actors’ initiatives

In the Eastern Europe region, out of six evaluated countries (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus), Ukraine stands out for its proactive approach to artificial intelligence. The country scored 38.13 out of 100 points, ranking 26th out of 138 countries. Ukraine is the only country in the region with a national policy document on artificial intelligence — the "Concept of Development of AI in Ukraine." This document outlines the priority areas for AI development in the country and sets ethical standards for human rights protection. Ukraine also received high evaluations in the pillar of the non-government and government initiatives related to responsible AI.

Georgia lags behind Ukraine in all dimensions and pillars. However, in the dimension of Responsible AI Governance, where Azerbaijan and Moldova together with Ukraine surpass Georgia, it ranks second among the countries in the region. The GIRAI study revealed that Georgia's governmental documents on responsible artificial intelligence are quite scarce, and there is no unified strategic document in this area. Among the study's evaluated pillars, Georgia received the lowest rating in government initiatives, but demonstrated relatively high activity in the non-governmental sector, including academia and civil organizations. With 17.83 points in the global index, Georgia ranked 60th among the evaluated countries.

Moldova ranks third in the region with 12.99 points. The country has shown interesting trends in research. Although it has not yet adopted any government document covering responsible artificial intelligence, there are observable government activities in this direction. Under the pillar of the government initiatives, Moldova ranks ahead of all other countries in the region, except Ukraine. A notable example is the government's  “White Paper on Data Governance and Artificial Intelligence (Strategy Draft), which outlines a vision for responsible AI development in the absence of a national AI strategy. 

Unlike Ukraine and Georgia, the non-governmental sector in Moldova is quite passive regarding responsible AI.

Similar trends are observed in other countries of the region, namely Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Belarus. No government documents on responsible artificial intelligence were identified in Armenia and Belarus. In all three countries, government initiatives prevail over those in the non-governmental sector. Notably, the government of Azerbaijan is particularly active, ranking just behind Ukraine and Moldova in the region for government initiatives. These countries are ranked 88th, 101st, and 110th in the world, respectively.

Among the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan), Uzbekistan achieved the highest score in the responsible AI index. The country scored 11.27 points, ranking 70th out of 138 countries. In terms of government frameworks, Uzbekistan leads the region. The study identified three presidential orders in Uzbekistan that focus on the accelerated introduction and development of artificial intelligence. These orders address five thematic areas in the index: cultural and linguistic diversity, international cooperation, public sector skills development, competition authorities, and transparency and explainability. 

Kazakhstan occupies the second place in the region, ranking 74th in the world. Among the Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan has the largest number of government initiatives related to responsible artificial intelligence. Notably, one of these initiatives includes a Social protection for platform workers. In July 2022, the Kazakhstan government issued the Piloting social coverage schemes, which sought to provide social protection for workers engaged in gig economy platforms using AI tools.

Kyrgyz Republic ranks third in the region with 7.4 points. This ranking in the global index is largely due to the strong performance of the non-governmental sector, where Kyrgyzstan significantly outpaces all other countries in the region. The country has received a high rating for Responsible AI Governance, second only to Uzbekistan in the region. However, due to the scarcity of government frameworks, which, along with government initiatives, had the most weight in the index score, Kyrgyzstan scored lower in the Responsible AI Index.

Tajikistan is the only country in the region with a national strategy document for artificial intelligence — “Strategy for the development of artificial intelligence in the Republic of Tajikistan for the period until 2040”. This strategy, primarily focused on economic development, addresses only 5 of the 19 thematic areas covered in the study. Tajikistan scored relatively high in the area of Responsible AI Governance. However, the country has the most passive non-governmental sector among the evaluated pillars.

In the Responsible AI Index, Turkmenistan received the lowest rating in the region. The research identified no government frameworks related to the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the country, and initiatives from the non-governmental sector are among the fewest in the world. Additionally, Turkmenistan scored zero in Responsible AI Capabilities. With a score of 1.98 out of 100, the country ranked 111th out of 138 countries.

In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, only two of the 12 assessed countries—Ukraine and Tajikistan—have a national AI policy document. In other countries, the thematic areas of GIRAI are addressed through separate government documents. The study revealed significant challenges in ensuring the security and reliability of artificial intelligence systems both in these regions and globally. Only two of the 12 countries, Georgia and Ukraine, have a government framework addressing the thematic areas of safety, accuracy, and reliability of AI use. Additionally, only three countries—Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Moldova—have a government initiative in this direction. The GIRAI report identified one thematic area — human oversight and determination — on which there is no government framework or initiative of any kind in either of the two regions. Human oversight is a crucial factor in ensuring the safe operation of artificial intelligence and maintaining public trust in this technology.

Find our analysis of the results

See the complete version of the study and the global report.