On June 29, Azerbaijan’s newly established Digital Development Council held its first meeting, highlighting the country’s priorities in the field of artificial intelligence. The agenda largely reflected the AI Roadmap 2025–2028 adopted last year, placing particular emphasis on digital development, the creation of AI ecosystems, and attracting foreign investment.

Another area that received significant attention, however, was the strengthening of state security and cybersecurity through the use of artificial intelligence. This focus extends beyond policy documents, as the Azerbaijani government has already begun taking practical steps toward integrating AI into security-related activities. The potential application of this technology in the defense sector is also openly acknowledged and is likely to become an increasingly important area of development in the coming years.

Most recent developments in the field of artificial intelligence in Azerbaijan are guided by the objectives outlined in the Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2025–2028. The document identifies the training of specialists, the establishment of a legislative framework, partnerships with the private sector, and expanded access to data centers as immediate priorities for AI development. At the same time, it highlights the threats to state security posed by emerging technologies and emphasizes the importance of developing AI-based countermeasures. Disinformation campaigns, fabricated audio and video content, and malicious software are specifically identified as tools that may be employed by both state and non-state actors to undermine Azerbaijan’s national interests. One notable initiative announced during the inaugural meeting of the Digital Development Council is the government’s continued effort to establish specialized cybersecurity institutions and platforms for cooperation with private companies operating in this field.

The emergence of both state-led and private artificial intelligence initiatives further strengthens Azerbaijan’s capacity to integrate this technology into security-related sectors. The Ministry of Digital Development and Transport serves as one of the principal institutions coordinating the country’s AI integration efforts. While the Ministry plays an active role in technology regulation and international cooperation through participation in various regional and international initiatives, the continued expansion of private-sector activity is equally significant.

One notable example is the National Artificial Intelligence Center (NAIC), a private initiative dedicated to promoting AI research and adoption. The Center has already implemented three AI projects and established its own AI education center to train the country’s next generation of artificial intelligence specialists.

While the state-led and private drivers of AI innovation are certainly noteworthy, the application of artificial intelligence within the fields of state security and defense remains more discreet, yet equally promising. The Artificial Intelligence Strategy directly acknowledges the role of AI in defense and national security and recognizes the need to employ it to counter emerging threats in these areas. The State Border Service has already explored the utility of AI in border security through a dedicated educational seminar. During a recent meeting of the heads of security services of CIS countries, the chief of Azerbaijan’s State Security Service endorsed the adoption of a conceptual document on the use of artificial intelligence in the activities of state security agencies. In the private sector, the local defense technology company SynaplineAI specializes in AI-powered autonomous capabilities for unmanned combat platforms.

Given Azerbaijan’s long-standing emphasis on military modernization and its history of introducing technological innovations to the region, it is reasonable to expect that the government will increasingly pursue the integration of AI into the security and defense sectors.

As a matter of fact, developments regarding the regulation of autonomous unmanned vehicles are already taking place. A new set of laws announced in early August legally recognizes autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles and introduces new norms regarding the use of these platforms. The law distinguishes between UAVs with partial and full levels of automation. According to this law, the operation of autonomous unmanned platforms now requires special certification and flight permits. Special obligations are also imposed on the pilots of these platforms, who must store important data about their UAV flights for specified periods in accordance with security protocols. Additionally, these systems can only be operated within certain geographic zones and in continued coordination with, and with permission from, relevant control center authorities.

Several conclusions can be drawn from this. First, the fact that AI-enhanced UAVs are characterized and treated differently from regular drones under the law shows that the Azerbaijani government is well aware of the nuances arising from the combination of two sensitive technologies, artificial intelligence and unmanned aerial vehicles. Security concerns clearly play a role in the establishment of these regulations, as the special licensing and geographical restrictions on flights suggest an attempt to prevent the use of this sensitive technology by malicious actors. The law itself also makes direct references to security concerns in its description of the measures it introduces.

Secondly, the government openly recognizes the benefits of this technology and avoids heavy-handed regulations that would effectively limit its use.

Despite introducing regulations on the use of autonomous UAVs for security purposes, Azerbaijan's decision-makers have seemingly taken a fundamentally different approach from other post-Soviet countries such as Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, where even regular drones are subject to stricter regulations.

This mixed approach of ensuring security while avoiding restrictions on the civilian scientific use of autonomous UAVs is likely to prove beneficial for the development of the country's AI-related capabilities.

Cooperation with international partners constitutes another important part of the country's AI strategy. A recent meeting between representatives of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport and China's "CITIC Group" focused on opportunities for cooperation around the planned construction of Azerbaijan's first AI data center. While many details are still not publicly available, the construction of this facility would represent a unique step for the country and could substantially benefit domestic AI development by providing local computing power.

As in many other countries, the use of artificial intelligence in defense and security remains at an early stage in Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, the official recognition of these sectors as priority areas for AI application, together with the developments outlined above, demonstrates the government’s clear intention to advance this capability. The country’s strategic direction in the field of artificial intelligence integration is becoming increasingly evident. The combination of state-level planning, expanding private-sector expertise, and official recognition of AI as a tool for national security suggests that its integration into these fields will continue to accelerate in the coming years. Given Azerbaijan’s sustained focus on military modernization and its position as one of the leading defense innovators in the South Caucasus, the development of AI-enabled security and defense capabilities is likely to become a significant trend worthy of close attention.