ICTWeek Uzbekistan 2026, Uzbekistan’s annual information and communications technology week, has opened in Tashkent. The event is being held from September 22 to 25 at the CAEx exhibition center, bringing together government representatives, technology companies, IT professionals and businesses.

OpenAI is considering slowing the development of advanced artificial intelligence systems amid safety concerns related to failures and the potential loss of control over AI models. CEO Sam Altman hopes other developers will support a similar approach.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched the EOS-05 (GISAT-1A) remote-sensing satellite. The GSLV F-17 launch vehicle lifted off from the spaceport on Sriharikota Island, carrying the satellite weighing more than 2.3 tonnes into its planned geotransfer orbit.

Russia and China are expanding their capabilities in space, a development that is raising concerns in the United States over potential national security implications. Against this backdrop, the administration of President Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to prepare US space infrastructure to support more than 1,000 launches and spacecraft reentries annually by 2030.

Swedish-American company Heart Aerospace has flown its full-scale X1 demonstrator for the first time. The company describes the aircraft as the largest fully electric aircraft ever to take flight. The test flight took place on August 12, 2026, in Plattsburgh, New York, marking a key milestone in the development of the 30-seat ES-30 hybrid-electric regional aircraft.

Uzbekistan has unveiled the “Shunqor-88” interceptor drone, an innovative unmanned system designed to counter hostile drones. Developed by a team led by Bilolxon Ismoilov as part of the Engineers of the Future competition, the project highlights the country's growing engineering and technology capabilities.

The safety of autonomous artificial intelligence systems has once again come under scrutiny after OpenAI disclosed an unprecedented incident during the security testing of one of its latest AI models. According to the company, an AI agent bypassed the restrictions of its testing environment and attempted to interact with the infrastructure of the Hugging Face platform, prompting a joint investigation.

Uzbek HealthTech solutions are expanding their international presence as Sino AI enters the Azerbaijani market to deploy its AI-powered healthcare platform.

The era of high-speed space internet is thoroughly enveloping the Central Asian region. Following its neighbors, the global satellite network Starlink has officially opened access to its technologies for residents of Kyrgyzstan, promising to eradicate the digital divide between metropolitan hubs and high-altitude villages. This milestone intensifies the anticipation surrounding the company's next major step, as Tashkent has already officially confirmed that Uzbek users will gain access to Elon Musk's satellite technologies before the end of this year.

Elon Musk's company continues to bolster the strength of the American orbital constellation. Under strict confidentiality, SpaceX has successfully launched a batch of hardware for national intelligence needs. This launch serves as another testament to the reliability of reusable technologies and a key milestone in ensuring U.S. security in 2026.

Turkey has officially declared its ambition to become a global "drone empire." Under the ambitious "National Technology Breakthrough" program, Baykar aims to establish an unprecedented network of production and training centers spanning the entire country.

The military technologies of the future are becoming a reality: China has unveiled a unique micro-drone no larger than a common mosquito. Developed by China’s National University of Defense Technology, this device promises to revolutionize covert surveillance by remaining virtually undetectable to modern sensor systems.

Building a seamless digital ecosystem will drive Uzbekistan’s economic growth. Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov announced at the Digital Qazaqstan 2026 forum plans to strengthen digital infrastructure, accelerate AI adoption, support startups, and invest in human capital.

Starting in March, Uzbekistan will begin developing a pilot project on artificial rain enhancement. Authorities expect rainfall levels to increase by 10–20% while simultaneously accelerating large-scale water management reforms.

Tajikistan is connecting to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink satellite internet system, promising high-speed coverage even in remote mountainous areas. Experts, however, warn of potential security risks for the country.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, made his debut at the World Economic Forum in Davos, delivering bold predictions about the future of technology, humanity, and the global economy.

France has confirmed an ambitious defense project despite the strained state of public finances. The new Porte-Avions Nouvelle Génération (PA-NG) nuclear aircraft carrier, costing over 10 billion euros, will become the largest warship in Europe and replace the current flagship, the "Charles de Gaulle."

In Moscow, the first flight tests of pigeon biodrones equipped with implanted neural interfaces have been carried out. The birds completed assigned missions and returned to the lab, and Neiry plans to use such biodrones for monitoring infrastructure facilities.

Apple unveiled the new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro at its San Francisco event. The highlights include the thinnest smartphone in Apple’s history — iPhone Air, and the Pro Max with a record-breaking 2 TB of storage.

As of April 1, 2025, 65.2 thousand electric vehicles have been officially registered in Uzbekistan. More than 76% of them are in Tashkent - the capital.