MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin has directed the Russian government and the country’s largest bank, Sberbank, to strengthen cooperation with China in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Putin’s directive, released on the Kremlin’s website Wednesday, comes shortly after he announced that Russia would collaborate with BRICS nations and other countries to advance AI development. He instructed Sberbank, which is leading Russia’s AI initiatives, to enhance technological research and development partnerships with China in AI.
Western sanctions, imposed to restrict Russia’s access to key technologies amid its ongoing war with Ukraine, have led major chip producers to halt exports to Russia. This has significantly hampered Russia’s AI capabilities. In 2023, Sberbank CEO German Gref noted that one of the biggest challenges was sourcing graphics processing units (GPUs), which are essential for AI development.
Through partnerships with non-Western countries, Russia aims to counterbalance the U.S. dominance in AI, which is considered one of the most critical technologies of the 21st century. Putin announced on December 11 that an AI Alliance Network would be created to unite experts from BRICS countries and other interested nations.
Currently, Russia ranks 31st out of 83 nations in the Global AI Index by Tortoise Media, falling behind not only the U.S. and China but also BRICS counterparts India and Brazil.
