An open debate for entrepreneurs

AI DEBATES

Contested questions with no settled answer yet. Several positions, a live debate and questions from the floor — instead of talks with ready-⁠made conclusions.

Date
27 October 2026, Tuesday
Time
18:00–22:00 (Almaty)
Venue
The venue address is sent to registered participants
Entry
Free participation, the number of seats is limited
Debaters, experts and the audience around an image of artificial intelligence: several positions and remarks in one shared discussion
The debate is not about the technology, but about what it does to your revenue, processes and people.

Three ways to take part

Each role has its own script, its own form and its own payoff. Pick the one your evening is worth spending on.

Attendee

I listen to both sides, put questions to the speakers and meet other entrepreneurs.

Debater

I join the debate from the floor: I have a position and the numbers to back it.

Expert

I defend a professional position in the programme and answer for its consequences.

Expert and debater are different roles. An expert is selected and appears in the round; a debater joins the debate from the floor, with no selection and no application.

Debates, not a conference

Each round is one question and several incompatible positions. Nobody arrives with a settled conclusion: the arguments are tested here, in front of the room, and you are the one who takes them away.

Experts debate

Each defends a position and answers for what it costs other people's money.

The room asks

Questions are collected in advance and asked from the floor — not cleared with the speakers.

Nobody stays quiet

Any participant can agree, object or offer a third option.

You draw the conclusion

No final truth from the stage: you take the arguments away and test them on your own numbers.

What you take away

The payoff depends on the role — pick yours.

  • Two opposing positions on one question — side by side, not separately
  • Arguments you can test against your own numbers next week
  • An expert's answer to your question — out loud, in front of everyone
  • A clear view of where AI actually saves money and where it only promises to
  • Other people's implementation mistakes you did not pay for
  • Introductions to entrepreneurs facing the same problems
  • A closed Telegram group for participants after the debate
  • A vote for the most convincing speaker

How it works

  1. Registration

    A short form — and your claim to a seat. There are as many places as there are chairs.

  2. Choosing a role

    Attendee, debater or expert. The role decides what you do on 18 September.

  3. Confirmation

    Confirmation appears on screen straight away: the seat is tied to your contacts.

  4. Telegram group

    A closed participants' group: the programme, the round topics and the venue address.

  5. Introductions

    A couple of lines about your business in the group — business contacts start before the event.

  6. The debate

    Round after round: several positions, questions from the floor and no ending known in advance.

  7. The vote

    An anonymous vote for the most convincing speaker. The organisers decide when results open.

  8. Networking

    After the rounds — open networking: introductions, contacts and conversations with the people whose arguments got to you.

Categories of DEBATE topics that come up regularly

The areas the rounds are assembled from. The full wording of the questions stays with the moderator — some of them will be asked in the room.

  • Frontier AI models and AGI
  • AI agents and autonomous companies
  • Generative AI: text, images, video and audio
  • Multimodal AI and computer vision
  • Decentralised AI
  • Open models and open source AI
  • AI safety and control of frontier models
  • AI alignment and the values of AI
  • AI and human labour
  • AI and the future of professions
  • AI in corporate management
  • AI in finance and investment
  • AI in marketing and sales
  • AI in media and journalism
  • Synthetic media and deepfakes
  • AI and education
  • AI in medicine
  • AI and pharmaceuticals
  • AI in biotechnology
  • Genomics and gene editing
  • Quantum computing
  • Quantum AI and quantum machine learning
  • Post-⁠quantum cryptography
  • Quantum communications
  • Quantum sensors
  • Robotics and physical AI
  • Humanoid robots
  • Autonomous systems and drones
  • Autonomous transport
  • Industrial robotisation
  • AI + IoT and smart infrastructure
  • Cybersecurity in the age of AI
  • AI attacks and autonomous cybercrime
  • Identity, digital ID and biometrics
  • Personal data and privacy
  • AI surveillance and mass monitoring
  • Cloud computing and sovereign cloud
  • AI chips, ASIC, GPU and compute infrastructure
  • Energy and AI data centres
  • The semantic internet and the AI-⁠native web
  • XR, spatial computing and smart glasses
  • Neurointerfaces and brain-⁠computer interfaces
  • Synthetic biology and biocomputing
  • Space technology and AI in space
  • Climate technology and AI
  • AI metaverses
Categories and topics

Experts

Invited experts

The organisers are in talks with specialists whose positions genuinely diverge. The entry for each of them will look like this.

Sergey Konev

Sergey Konev

CEO and co-⁠founder of IKIGAI PROMOTION

AI architect, and expert in AI implementation for business

  • CEO and co-⁠founder of IKIGAI PROMOTION, AI architect, and expert in AI implementation for business. Over 28 years of business experience, with 4+ years in the field of AI.
  • A speaker at international forums; recognized at the Digital Qazaqstan Awards 2026 and People & Projects Awards 2025; ambassador for Digital Bridge 2026.
Timur Yessenov

Timur Yessenov

Founder of autonomous AI systems manufacturing company

The goal is a billion-⁠dollar company and AI tools that give businesses superpowers.

  • 10+ years in media and video production. 5+ years in AI development.
  • Ссылка
Aigerim Kilybayeva

Aigerim Kilybayeva

General director of Qazaq IT Community

It is important for people to be part of a professional environment, not just to work in IT

  • Expert at JSC Bank CenterCredit, Winner of the TechnoWomen Leader 2023 award
Rustam Mirzabayev

Rustam Mirzabayev

Security, Investigation and Risk Management Expert

I help you spot threats early, understand real risks, and make informed decisions.

  • 35 years in the same direction - from different sides
  • Ссылка
Almaz Elemanov

Almaz Elemanov

founder EDK IT ltd

Founder of the cybersecurity company EDK IT and SAT platform Ссылка

  • Comptia Security+, ISO 27001, CISM, CISSP

Confirmed speakers

This is where the people who passed selection and are already in the programme appear.

Игорь Палкин

Игорь Палкин

Founder & CEO · Agesta AI

Двадцать лет внедрял системы в компаниях, где процессы существовали только в голове у директора, а данные жили в трёх Excel с разными версиями правды. Автоматизация, ERP, цифровизация ломались об это одинаково. Сейчас сам строю AI-⁠агентов и вижу то же самое с другой стороны: технология работает, бизнес не готов. Ожидания завышены раза в три, и я знаю, где именно реальная граница достижимого сегодня, потому что упираюсь в неё в собственных пилотах. Готов спорить с теми, кто продаёт AI как замену выстроенным процессам.

Алексей Смулянский

Алексей Смулянский

CEO · Parok

12 лет бизнеса на собственном капитале. Разработка ERP товароучетной системы.

Адлет Талапты

Адлет Талапты

Руководитель · Ип CODE.let

Активно занимаюсь вайбкодингом 2 года В круче всех новостей и трендов вокруг ИИ

Саламат Мухамедиев

Саламат Мухамедиев

Основатель · GEMATRIX

**1. Расскажите о себе и вашей экспертности** Я Саламат Мухамедиев, специалист и эксперт по созданию AI-⁠продуктов и цифровых платформ, основатель GEMATRIX. Более 30 лет исследую природу человеческих способностей и развитие человека. Разрабатываю AI-⁠продукты на основе авторских методологий, объединяя технологии искусственного интеллекта, аналитику и глубокую работу с информацией о человеке. **2. Тема или вопрос, который хотите представить** AI и будущее анализа человека: как искусственный интеллект меняет подход к пониманию личности, выбору профессионального направления и совместимости людей в отношениях, бизнесе и командах. Также могу рассказать о создании AI-⁠продуктов на основе авторских методологий и о том, как превратить собственную методологию в работающий цифровой продукт. **3. Почему считаете себя экспертом в этой теме** Я не только занимаюсь AI и технологиями, но и имею практический опыт создания сложных цифровых продуктов. В роли CTO я полноценно разработал три многомодульные платформы: Watch The World, GemPlay и GEMATRIX, включая архитектуру, технологическую часть и реализацию ключевых модулей. Более 30 лет я также исследую развитие человека и человеческие способности

Who do you want to hear

One participant, one vote. Neither the organisers nor the speakers can see who voted for whom.

Sergey Konev

Sergey Konev

Timur Yessenov

Timur Yessenov

Aigerim Kilybayeva

Aigerim Kilybayeva

Rustam Mirzabayev

Rustam Mirzabayev

Almaz Elemanov

Almaz Elemanov

Yegor Kupriy

Yegor Kupriy

Медеу Абишев

Медеу Абишев

Elmira Kovylina

Elmira Kovylina

Виктор Томасевич

Игорь Палкин

Игорь Палкин

Алексей Смулянский

Алексей Смулянский

Адлет Талапты

Адлет Талапты

Саламат Мухамедиев

Саламат Мухамедиев

Results stay hidden until voting ends, so they do not influence other participants.

This is the result of a participants vote, not an independent professional assessment of qualification.

A seat in the room

Registration takes a minute. After that: the closed Telegram group and the venue address.

Join Telegram
  1. Step 1. Registration confirmed

    You are on the participants list. The seat is tied to your contact details.

  2. Step 2. Join the Telegram group

    The programme, round topics, venue address and schedule changes are published there.

  3. Step 3. Introduce yourself

    Tell the group briefly about your business or send your card — introductions start before the event.

Debaters

Those who will take the microphone and defend their position in front of the room.

Yegor Kupriy

Yegor Kupriy

Основатель, 2films mpc

Медеу Абишев

Медеу Абишев

Заведующий кафедрой теоретической и ядерной физики, КазНУ имени аль-⁠Фараби

Могу дать экспертизу по применению ии в науке

Elmira Kovylina

Elmira Kovylina

Директор по Отделу ‘Образование за рубежом’, StudyRoom

Your photo goes here

Виктор Томасевич

Директор, ESSL

Эксперт в сфере кибербезопасности и стандартизации

Registered as a debater? Add a photo and a couple of lines about yourself to your card using the personal link shown after registration and sent by the organisers.

Keep the date

Add the debates to your calendar and the reminder will come on its own.

Not a conference. Not a lecture. Not a presentation. Debates.

Here you may disagree even with the experts.

Programme

How the day runs: time, topics and who takes the microphone.

  1. 18:00-19:00

    Workshop & Lifehacks

    Sergey Konev

    will host a workshop on "Lifehacks for Vibe-⁠Coders."

    CEO and Co-⁠founder of IKIGAI PROMOTION.

    AI Architect and expert in AI business integration.

    With over 28 years of business experience and more than 4 years in the AI ​​field, he is a seasoned professional.

    A speaker at international forums—including the Digital Qazaqstan Awards 2026 and People & Projects Awards 2025—he also serves as an ambassador for Digital Bridge 2026.

  2. AI -debates with speakers

    Topics:

    🗣️ Monetizing "vibe-⁠coded" solutions and products

    🗣️ Which to choose: agents from industry giants or custom-⁠built "vibe-⁠coded" agents?

    🗣️ AI cybersecurity: how to protect yourself and your business in the age of AI?

    Gather all your questions and ask the experts.

October 27, 2026: How did the AI ​​debate go?

Link to photos and videos of the debate: Ссылка

Speaker’s presentation: Ссылка

Thank you all for participating, and a special thanks to those who stayed until the end!
Thank you all for participating, and a special thanks to those who stayed until the end!

Questions and answers

Short answers to what people ask most often.

Who can attend?

Business owners and managers, specialists and experts interested in the topics of the rounds. Registration is open to everyone, but there are only as many places as the venue holds.

Do I need to understand AI?

No. The conversation is about money, processes and people, not about how the models are built. Most participants come to listen and to ask questions.

Can I just come and listen?

Yes, that is the attendee role. You listen to the debate, ask a question if you want to, and take part in the vote.

Can I ask my own question?

Yes. Send it in advance through the form on this site or ask it from the floor during a round. Submitted questions are reviewed by the moderator.

How do I become a speaker?

Fill in the form «I want to apply as a speaker»: describe your expertise and topic and attach a photograph. The application goes to moderation.

How are experts selected?

The organisers review applications by hand: the topic, the experience and how strongly the position collides with others. Approved profiles are published on the site; the rest stay private.

How does the voting work?

Each participant casts one vote for one of the approved experts. The administrator opens the results; until then they are hidden from everyone.

Is the vote anonymous?

Yes. No name, email or phone number is stored next to a vote — only a technical marker that prevents voting twice.

How do I get into the Telegram group?

The link appears right after registration, on the confirmation screen. The group is closed and holds only the participants of the debates.

Can I take part in the debate without being a speaker?

Yes, that is the debater role: you take part from the floor, ask questions and offer your position, but do not speak in the programme.

Do I have to pay to take part?

No, participation is free. The only limit is the capacity of the venue.

How do I add the date to my calendar?

In the «Save the date» block there is a Google Calendar link and an .ics file that opens in Apple Calendar and any other app.

Our supporters

The organisations supporting AI DEBATES.