Bishkek, Feb. 19, 2026. /Kabar/. Kyrgyz developers are making strides on the international technology stage, according to a report from the High-Tech Park (HTP) of Kyrgyzstan. The startup team NineNineSix has unveiled a new version of their speech synthesis model, Kani TTS 2, which has quickly gained popularity, now ranking among the top three text-to-speech (TTS) models on the Hugging Face platform, a leading repository for artificial intelligence models.
Kani TTS 2 marks a significant advancement from its predecessor, boasting the ability to generate up to 40 seconds of continuous speech in a single run, more than double the capacity of the original version. The HTP highlighted that achieving this ranking as a fully open-source model from Kyrgyzstan is a noteworthy accomplishment in the AI landscape.
Founded in Kyrgyzstan, NineNineSix is recognized for its innovative projects in language technology. The team previously developed the first version of Kani TTS and introduced AkylAi, the first AI capable of speaking Kyrgyz. Their focus on underrepresented languages sets them apart from larger AI firms that predominantly prioritize widely spoken languages such as English and Spanish.
Kani TTS 2 demonstrates versatility, supporting not only English and Spanish but also Kyrgyz. Its architecture allows for training in additional languages, accents, and dialects, making it a valuable tool for linguistic diversity. A distinctive aspect of the project is the publication of the complete pre-training code, enabling researchers and developers worldwide to create custom voice models based on Kani TTS 2.
Nursultan Bakashov, co-founder of NineNineSix, expressed enthusiasm about the new model, stating, “Kani TTS 2 is the next step after our first version: we’ve made speech generation more stable and taught the model to produce longer fragments. We focus on compact and open models—they’re easier to launch and adapt to different languages and accents, including resource-poor ones. It’s important for us to demonstrate that world-class technology can be created in Kyrgyzstan, so we’ve open-sourced not only the model weights but also the entire pre-training code—so any team can train a TTS from scratch for their language.”
Key enhancements in Kani TTS 2 include stable speech generation capabilities extending up to 40 seconds per run, zero-shot voice cloning—which allows for cloning a voice based on a brief audio sample—and a completely open architecture and training code. Its significant standing on Hugging Face reflects its growing recognition in the tech community.
The model is built on approximately 400 million parameters and was pre-trained on around 10,000 hours of speech data, allowing it to operate on GPUs with as little as 3 GB of video memory. This accessibility makes Kani TTS 2 suitable for both local and server-based applications.
The HTP remarked on the implications of such advancements: “Kani TTS 2 is not just another AI model. It is proof that Kyrgyzstani specialists are capable of creating world-class technologies and competing in the global artificial intelligence market. NineNineSix demonstrates that Kyrgyzstan can be not only a consumer but also a creator of advanced AI solutions.”
The success of Kani TTS 2 highlights the increasing importance of inclusivity in artificial intelligence development. As technology continues to evolve, the ability to cater to diverse linguistic needs positions Kyrgyzstan and its developers as pivotal players in the global AI landscape. The implications of this achievement extend beyond the immediate technical specifications, marking a significant step towards empowering underrepresented languages and showcasing the potential for innovation in resource-rich environments.
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