By Vazira Bazarova (Journalism and Mass Communications University of Uzbekistan)
Uzbekistan has taken an important step toward digital self-reliance with the launch of BONU AGI, the country’s first nationally developed artificial intelligence system. The project marks a departure from the widespread practice of simply adopting global AI platforms, instead proposing a model grounded in Uzbekistan’s cultural, social, and historical context.
Most artificial intelligence systems in use today are built on universal frameworks designed to function across societies with minimal differentiation. While efficient, such models often overlook a critical dimension: real-world decision-making is deeply influenced by cultural norms, collective memory, language patterns, and national experience. BONU AGI is built around the idea that AI should not exist in a cultural vacuum.
Rather than relying exclusively on abstract algorithms, BONU AGI interprets user requests through locally relevant social and cultural lenses. This enables the system to better mirror how people in Uzbekistan communicate, reason, and frame questions. In this sense, BONU AGI is not a localized copy of existing foreign platforms but an alternative approach to AI development—one that prioritizes contextual awareness over one-size-fits-all logic.
The initiative was founded by Baxtiyor Bobohonov, Sardorbek Tursunbekov, and Otabek Sidikov, specialists who combine technical expertise with a nuanced understanding of local realities. Their work reflects a conscious attempt to align advanced artificial intelligence technologies with the societal environment in which they are meant to operate.
Beyond its immediate functionality, BONU AGI carries broader strategic significance. It reflects Uzbekistan’s gradual shift from being a consumer of imported digital solutions to becoming a creator of its own technological infrastructure. At a time when questions of data sovereignty, technological independence, and cultural representation in AI systems are gaining global relevance, such national projects acquire added importance.
The platform is currently available in an open-access format. Users are encouraged to register, submit clearly structured queries, and engage respectfully with the system to ensure effective interaction and accurate responses.
Ultimately, BONU AGI represents more than a new digital product. It offers an early example of how artificial intelligence can be shaped by national context, potentially serving as a reference point for other countries seeking to develop AI systems that reflect their own cultural and social identities.
