Artificial intelligence in Armenia: How the country is 长沙快速U币交易preparing for technological future

April 4, 2025  12:43

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer considered science fiction; it’s a reality transforming our lives right now. From voice assistants and automated services to cutting-edge medical research, AI is penetrating into all domains and setting a new pace for technological progress. In recent years, Armenia has seen the active development of research centers, the emergence of new companies, and the government’s first major investments in AI infrastructure. It is essential to grasp the opportunities this creates and the challenges that still need to be overcome. Together with Sargis Karapetyan, CEO at the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE), we will explore what has already been achieved, which domains should be developed, and whether Armenia can secure a significant place in the AI sector.

Major achievements in AI sector in Armenia

According to Sargis Karapetyan, the greatest achievement of Armenia in the field of artificial intelligence is the people and the small research centers that have been opened in recent years.

"The most important hub is Yerevan, which has become a research center focused on artificial intelligence. Here, young scientists are being trained—some of them enter the industry, while others continue academic work and publish in high-ranking journals," Karapetyan noted.

Additionally, Armenia is home to one or two commercial labs founded by experts who have been working with AI for 10–15 years and are teaching it in the country. "Our biggest achievements are these people, who possess deep knowledge and are training the next generation of specialists. These labs are places for real staff development," he emphasized. Another key achievement is government investment in AI infrastructure.

The Armenian government has allocated $8 million for the purchase of supercomputers, which are already in Armenia. The process of establishing an AI Center at the state university is currently underway.

"Unfortunately, the process is taking longer than expected, but all the same, it remains a significant achievement since Armenia previously lacked such high-performance computing resources. By global standards, this is not the most powerful option, but for us, it is a significant progress," Karapetyan stated.

Even more powerful supercomputers will be imported to Armenia

According to Sargis Karapetyan, private initiatives related to supercomputers have already been launched in Armenia, and they are tens or even hundreds of times larger in scale than current projects. "I hope we will see their results in the near future," he noted. The development of these technologies will create new opportunities for training specialists and accelerate AI introduction across various domains. "This will lead to companies and government agencies to start actively using artificial intelligence to solve various problems, especially in improving efficiency and increasing speed," Karapetyan emphasized. Some of the projects in discussion involve the delivery of even more powerful supercomputers to Armenia. "I know of at least two such initiatives, but unfortunately, I cannot disclose details as I am not authorized to do so," said the head of the UATE. Regarding the organizations involved in these projects, Karapetyan did not specify any participants, but noted that a "large Armenia-Diaspora coalition" is working on them.

Armenia’s AI prospects

"When speaking about artificial intelligence, it is crucial to distinguish three key directions of development: creating AI and developing new models—and Large Language Models are actively developing in this direction; developing AI application programs; implementing existing AI solutions in various domains," Karapetyan explained. He is confident Armenia has significant potential in all these domains, but its attainment depends on the actions taken. "Creating artificial intelligence is complex scientific work.

There are already specialists in our country working in this domain, and with state or private support, we could achieve major successes—and even compete in some directions at the global level," Karapetyan noted. He sees even greater potential in AI application development. "New products can be created based on existing models like ChatGPT and DeepSeek. Successful Armenian startups such as Qrisp, Hercules AI, and MagicalLabs are already operating, engaging in both outsourcing and developing proprietary solutions that compete in the global market. This field should be actively developed as it presents numerous opportunities. For instance, specialists who previously worked in web development can transition into this sector," he explained.

Another promising domain is the use of AI in bioengineering, particularly in drug development. "Some Armenian companies are already developing products for the pharmaceutical industry. This sector has great potential and could become one of the country’s key industries in the future," he emphasized. "I know that some companies have established contacts with Armenians in Boston, where there are strong specialists in the field of biotechnology," Karapetyan continued. He mentioned individuals such as the Papoyan brothers, who are professors and academics, as well as the influence of Noubar Afeyan—the founder of Moderna—in Armenia. Thanks to these connections, several biotech companies have already emerged in the country.

Additionally, Karapetyan informed that discussions are underway regarding the launch of large-scale Armenian government programs in this domain. "The Ministry of High Technologies, as well as the recently established Science and Technology Council, have selected five key directions, one of which is biotechnology. I hope that major state initiatives will appear in this domain in the near future," he added.

Armenia does not need AI sector state regulation

 At the same time, Karapetyan believes government initiatives should support, rather than hinder, AI development. But as is often the case in Armenia, regulations only limit development opportunities.

"AI is still in its early stages of development and shows its first results. Under such conditions, strict regulation—and this applies not only to Armenia, but also to other countries—slows down innovation. This has already become a pattern," Karapetyan stated.

Also, he noted that Europe and the US are currently engaged in an ideological debate over AI regulation.

"The US initially had a more lenient regulatory approach, which became even more relaxed under the Trump administration to support innovation. In contrast, Europe is implementing strict regulatory measures. If Armenia follows the path of Europe, it could disrupt the foundation already established in the country. In this case, we would be forced to rely on others’ products rather than creating our own and develop," he concluded.

Thus, the future of artificial intelligence in Armenia depends—first and foremost—on the intelligence of our state agencies, as well as, naturally, on continued work in scientific and commercial fields. Given the work already done, the country has the potential for further growth and development in this domain.