Kazakhstan: AI helps illustrate cases of domestic violence
Svet Saltanat (The Light of Saltanat): A project that records domestic violence cases and displays statistics in a flashing light
27.04.2025
Article published on the rus.azattyq.org website
The Light of Saltanat is the world’s first endeavour that processes data on domestic violence in real time, say its creators.
Artificial intelligence collects information from social networks, news, calls to crisis centres and anonymous messages received via the Telegram bot@Saltanat_Light_Bot.
The Saltanat neon sign, created in the 1960s, is at the heart of this initiative and was mounted in President’s Park in Almaty. The neon sign starts flashing every time a case is recorded, with a signal displayed on more than 100 digital screens across the country.
The project has been developed by the Kazakh technology company Citix and the advertising agency GForce Grey.
Artificial intelligence analyses messages using a special prompt in the Kazakh language so that each signal is verified before it hits the screens.
The main aim of the Light of Saltanat project is to draw attention to the problem and extent of domestic abuse in Kazakhstan. Consequently and in addition to the screens, the team has designed a Telegram bot@Saltanat_Light_Bot through which victims can share their stories anonymously and receive guidance on where they can get help.
To its creators, the project is about sharing personal stories, not just about technological innovation.
“Many women in Kazakhstan have had first-hand experience of domestic violence, including myself, so this initiative is of great personal interest to me. We at Citix believe that this technology can be a way of having a conversation with society on the impacts of victim abuse. Cities should be safe, both physically and emotionally, the sort of city we are fighting for every day”, said its CEO, Yana Shoibekova.
The project is dedicated to the memory of Saltanat Nukenova, who was brutally murdered by her husband, former Minister of the Economy, Kuandyk Bishimbayev, in 2023. This incident led to the adoption of domestic violence legislation in Kazakhstan. However, while the number of domestic violence reports has declined since its introduction, human rights activists say that the Government’s official figures do not reflect the true scale of the problem.
“I think the Light of Saltanat initiative is an outstanding example of how creativity and technology together can have such a powerful impact. It is important for people to know there is support out there. Despite the many volunteer and crisis centres, as well as Government programmes and statistics available to us, the problem of domestic abuse is much more widespread than any of us had imagined”, said Saltanat’s brother, Aitbek Amangeldy.
The project will run for a month. The final figures will appear on the screens at the end of April and the names of all the domestic violence victims, including Saltanat’s, all lit up.
