Academician Rasim Alguliyev: “Purposeful research is underway in our country to establish a digital social observatory”

Rasim Alguliyev, Vice-President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) and Director General of the Institute of Information Technology of the Ministry of Science and Education, said in a statement to AZERTAC that, in the context of the rapid development of advanced digital technologies in the modern era, the society formed on internet platforms has come into focus as a distinct object of scientific research. In this regard, he emphasized the great importance of holding conferences and roundtables discussions dedicated to various aspects of AI. The academician also commended the high level of sensitivity and responsibility demonstrated by government institutions in recent years in addressing digitalization issues. 

The scientist also spoke about the strategic objectives and targets set forth in the documents consecutively adopted in recent years by the Head of State, including the Information Security and Cybersecurity Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2023–2027, the Digital Development Concept of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2025–2028. “These documents serve national interests and envisage ensuring a high level of cybersecurity and cyber sovereignty of the state, protecting citizens’ rights, eliminating fragmentation in the field of digitalization across the country, and guaranteeing the primacy of state interests over corporate interests,” he said.

Academician Rasim Alguliyev, stated that comprehensive measures are being implemented both in relevant government bodies and in the country’s scientific institutions and organizations to ensure the fulfillment of the tasks arising from these documents. He emphasized that, as a result, the digital transformation process in Azerbaijan has entered a qualitatively new stage.

The scientist stated that over the past 20 years, the purposeful digitalization policy implemented in the country has laid a solid foundation for the broad application and development of AI technologies. He emphasized that data constitutes the main strategic resource for artificial intelligence in Azerbaijan today, noting that in the modern era data is generated and rapidly expanding across all spheres of human activity. He added that large-scale databases are being formed and are becoming an integral component of the country’s unified digital ecosystem.

The academician noted that state-owned data registers collect and organize extensive and multifaceted information about citizens, emphasizing that this trend highlights the challenges of big data analytics. He added that the digital representation of many social indicators shows that sociology is entering a new phase: “At the modern stage, sociology is increasingly integrating with the exact sciences and acquiring a mathematical character. As a result, digital and mathematical sociology is becoming one of the key directions in multidisciplinary computer science.”

The Director General stated that at the institute he leads, the architectural and technological foundations of a digital demographic intelligence system have been developed based on data registers owned by state institutions. He added that the platform enables strategically important analyses in areas such as medical demography, linguistic demography, and other fields, generating knowledge that is beneficial for society.

The scientist emphasized that, as a result of the consistent state policy in the country, significant steps are being taken to establish a social observatory on a digital platform. He noted that the observatory enables multidimensional sociological research on large-scale databases and allows for systematic and transparent analysis of societal processes through the application of AI technologies.

Academician Rasim Alguliyev emphasized the importance of systematically coordinating research on artificial intelligence and digitalization in the country in line with the state’s strategic interests and established priorities. He noted that there is a need to strengthen coordination in this field, define priority areas, and improve mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating ongoing scientific research. The academician added that in implementing key strategic documents adopted by the head of state, closer cooperation must be ensured among government bodies, research institutions, the business sector, and civil society organizations, and regular scientific public discussions should be organized.