“A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI” – under this title, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Uzbekistan officially launched the 2025 Human Development Report during the UN Public Service Forum in Samarkand.

The presentation was attended by representatives of the government, international organizations, research institutions, civil society, and youth.

The global findings of the report and their relevance to Uzbekistan’s development were discussed.

The report highlights a slowdown in global human development progress, the most significant in the past 35 years. It notes that persistent inequality and the fragility of achieved results pose particular risks for countries with low Human Development Index (HDI) scores. At the same time, the report states that artificial intelligence (AI) can become a driver of renewed progress, provided sound policies are implemented and people-centered principles are upheld.

In this context, Uzbekistan has achieved significant progress: the Human Development Index (HDI) reached 0.740 in 2023, placing the country in the high human development category. Uzbekistan ranked 107th out of 193 countries and territories. Since 2000, the index has increased by 22.7%. During this period, life expectancy rose by nearly seven years, education levels improved, and gross national income per capita grew by more than 225%. In Uzbekistan, digital transformation is a cornerstone of national reform efforts – a fact also reflected in the report’s findings.

The report outlines priority areas for ensuring sustainable and inclusive development in light of AI integration. These include the development of economies where humans work alongside AI rather than compete with it; strengthening the human role at all stages of the AI life cycle; and modernizing education and healthcare systems to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

According to a global survey, 60 percent of respondents believe AI will create new jobs. Moreover, most people in countries with medium and high HDI levels, including Uzbekistan, expect increased labor productivity and improvements in public services.

The presentation in Samarkand once again affirmed Uzbekistan’s leading role in the region in advancing digital technologies for human development and inclusive governance.

O. Kharchenko, UzA