HackAlem AI, held in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, on September 23, 2026, with OpenAI as an official partner, set a Guinness World Records title for participation in an AI hackathon. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development reported an official count of 2,415 participants, with winning teams set to share $100,000 in cash prizes and a further $100,000 in technology resources, DKNews.kz reports.
Projects are now being assessed. According to the updated schedule on the HackAlem AI website, technical reviews will continue until October 13, followed by a Demo Day on October 16 and an awards ceremony on October 23.
A record built on verified participation
Organizers received 6,586 applications. The event brought together approximately 2,500 participants from 21 countries, including students from 129 universities. Teams had five hours to develop AI solutions addressing practical challenges faced by businesses, government and industry.
The official Guinness World Records count included 2,415 people who met all participation requirements. Organizers verified identities and tracked entry and exit through personalized badges, counting only those who worked on projects for the required period.
The previous record of 2,089 participants was set on December 21, 2025, at an event organized by Google for Developers and Google Developer Groups Hyderabad in India. Guinness World Records adjudicator Glenn Pollard confirmed the new result in Astana.
Cash prizes and technology support
Astana Hub is providing the $100,000 cash prize pool. Winners are also eligible for $100,000 in technology resources, described in the original announcement as OpenAI API tokens.
The combined prize package is therefore worth $200,000, split equally between cash and access to technology.
The initial September announcement valued prizes and technology support at $1.1 million. The ministry subsequently reported that participants received access to technology and educational resources from OpenAI, NVIDIA and Arizona State University worth up to $1.5 million. That figure represents access to development and learning resources, rather than cash payments.
OpenAI served as an official partner, and teams were required to use Codex during development.
“Hosting HackAlem AI in Kazakhstan is an important step in advancing the country’s AI ecosystem. We are creating an environment where developers from Kazakhstan and other countries can gain access to cutting-edge technologies, build solutions, and scale them globally. Our goal is to make Kazakhstan a hub for talent, technology, and AI innovation,” said Zhaslan Madiyev, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, ahead of the event.
Turning prototypes into practical products
Teams worked across ten areas: energy, finance, governance, telecommunications, logistics, creative industries, education, innovation, communications and trade.
The challenge was to move from an idea to a working AI solution within a few hours. Organizers envisage further development opportunities for promising projects, including potential pilots with partner companies.
“For Silkroad Innovation Hub, the technology partnership with OpenAI as part of HackAlem AI is an important step toward expanding access to global AI tools for talent from Kazakhstan and Central Eurasia. We believe that a strong ecosystem emerges when developers, startups, and technology teams have not only ideas, but also access to cutting-edge tools, expertise, and real-world challenges. HackAlem AI creates exactly this kind of environment: participants will be able to work with OpenAI technologies, develop practical AI solutions, and showcase to corporations the teams and products that could become the foundation for future pilot projects,” said Asset Abdualiyev, Founder and CEO of Silkroad Innovation Hub, in the original announcement.
The initial lineup of organizers and partners included Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, Astana Hub, Silkroad Innovation Hub, AI & Digital Bridge, Blockchain & AI Technology Center and OpenAI.
Who took part?
The competition was open to developers, students, young professionals and technology enthusiasts aged 18 or over. Applicants needed relevant education or professional experience, or evidence of their skills through personal projects, prototypes, applications or research.
Eligibility also extended to students and young professionals currently enrolled in, or who had attended full-time education within the preceding 12 months in, IT, programming, engineering, technology, mathematics or digital product design.
Participants had to attend the September 23 event in person and cover their own travel, accommodation and other expenses in Astana.
Alongside technology access, organizers provided branded merchandise and personalized participation certificates. The event also brought developers and startup founders into contact with technology companies and peers from Kazakhstan and abroad.
Final stages scheduled for October
The original announcement placed the awards ceremony at the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 technology forum. The updated event schedule now lists different dates: project reviews run from September 24 to October 13, finalists present on October 16, and the awards ceremony is scheduled for October 23.
Teams now face the next test: demonstrating the effectiveness of their solutions to the jury. The latest timetable is available on the official HackAlem AI website.
DKNews.kz previously examined the cash prizes and OpenAI resources announced ahead of HackAlem AI.
