ehnlab.ai launches AI analytics for monitoring Lake Sarez
An artificial intelligence system developed in Tajikistan will analyze satellite imagery in orbit to detect early signs of floods, glacial lake outbursts, landslides and avalanches in the Pamir Mountains.
The system, called ARGUS, is being developed by zehnlab.ai in partnership with Tajikistan’s Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense and Indian space-AI company SkyServe.
The project is part of the Area AI free economic zone initiative in Tajikistan and is described as the first orbital AI solution being developed under the initiative.
ARGUS will use a computer vision model running on a GPU installed aboard a satellite. Its first observation session is scheduled for September 20, 2026, covering Lake Pshart and surrounding high-altitude basins. Monitoring will later expand to Lake Sarez, whose waters are held back by the Usoi Dam, considered the world’s highest natural dam.
AI analysis in space
Unlike conventional satellite systems, which send large volumes of imagery to Earth for processing, ARGUS will analyze images directly in orbit.
Instead of transmitting raw images, the system will send compact alerts when it detects potential threats. This could reduce delays in emergency monitoring and allow specialists on the ground to assess risks more quickly.
The technology is particularly relevant to Tajikistan, where many potentially hazardous areas are remote and difficult to access.
water and is considered one of Central Asia’s major natural hazards.
In 2023, another earthquake formed Lake Pshart. A year later, its natural dam partially collapsed, and the resulting flood wave reached Lake Sarez within several hours.
Major-General Jamshed Kamolzoda, head of the Main Directorate for Population and Territory Protection at Tajikistan’s Emergencies Committee, said ARGUS would strengthen monitoring of Lake Sarez and help move emergency management toward a more digital approach.
He said combining satellite monitoring with ground observations and hydrometeorological and seismological data could enable faster assessment of conditions and more effective warnings.
Technology behind ARGUS
ARGUS will operate on STORM, SkyServe’s platform for processing data and running AI applications directly aboard satellites.
According to the project partners, STORM has been used in five orbital missions since 2023. Algorithms already tested on the platform include NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory models for wildfire and flood detection.
SkyServe also provides SURGE, a ground-based environment for developing, testing and deploying AI models before they are sent into orbit.
Azizjon Azimi, chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Council under Tajikistan’s Ministry of Industry, described ARGUS as an important step for the country’s AI ecosystem.
“For the first time, a computer vision model performing AI analysis directly from space will be used to monitor a natural phenomenon of enormous regional significance,” he said.
SkyServe co-founder and CEO Vinay Simha said the project demonstrates the potential of combining local AI development with space-based computing to provide near-real-time information for emergency monitoring.
ARGUS to be presented in Dushanbe
The ARGUS project will be presented at AICONF 2026, scheduled for October 30–31 in Dushanbe. The conference is expected to bring together participants from more than 50 countries.
The system will demonstrate how AI and satellite data can be used to monitor high-altitude areas and detect potential natural disaster threats at an early stage.
zehnlab.ai is an applied AI research and development lab operating in Central Asia and the Gulf countries. It develops large language models and computer vision systems, with a focus on data-scarce environments and underrepresented languages.
SkyServe, founded in 2020, develops AI-powered computing technologies for satellites, enabling Earth observation data to be analyzed, filtered and prioritized in orbit before being transmitted to Earth.
Read More: https://asiaplus.news/en/2026/09/15/ai-created-in-tajikistan-reaches-orbit/