Illustration: AI
The second annual Halyk OIY Tech conference took place in Almaty, bringing together more than 500 specialists from Kazakhstan and abroad (inbusiness.kz). Halyk showcased technology it had developed, while experts discussed artificial intelligence, security and banking services. The bank also announced a joint venture with Plug and Play to support startups.
What happened
The conference took place at KBTU. Halyk organised the event with support from Visa, its general partner. Participants included bank representatives, data analysts and digital technology experts.
The programme featured more than 20 panel sessions and presentations. Participants discussed banking products for businesses and individuals, data protection and applications of artificial intelligence. Technical sessions explored how solutions work, gave participants a chance to share their experience and offered advice on developing startups.
Supporting startups
Halyk Bank CEO Umut Shayakhmetova spoke about the joint venture with Plug and Play, a technology accelerator — an organisation that supports startup development. Shayakhmetova said the partnership would give people in Kazakhstan an opportunity to pitch ideas and products and receive help developing their projects.
“Halyk helps startups scale both within our ecosystem and through collaboration with corporate clients,” Shayakhmetova said.
She stressed the importance of human capital and supporting talented people in Kazakhstan. The bank’s CEO paid particular attention to young entrepreneurs and startups looking to bring their ideas to life and develop their technology.
Services and security
Halyk Bank Deputy CEO Kiril Bachvarov outlined a practical goal for the new solutions: helping customers choose the right products. He said technology should make banking more convenient. At the conference, Halyk wanted to showcase both existing technology and products it plans to launch.
Technological advances also create additional risks. Shayakhmetova stressed that data protection and fraud prevention remain priorities for Halyk. She linked these efforts to the resilience of the banking system.
How the conference began
Bachvarov said the annual conference grew out of discussions among experts. Specialists were interested in banking products, including those developed using artificial intelligence. raem.kz previously reported on the Halyk OIY Tech programme.
The conference ended with an awards ceremony for the winners of Agentic Football — a hands-on workshop run by AWS and Halyk, where participants worked with technology in a competitive format.
