Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin has instructed the Russian government and the country's largest bank, Sberbank (SBER.MM), to establish cooperation with China in the field of artificial intelligence, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Putin's order was published on the Kremlin's website, three weeks after he announced Russia's intention to cooperate with BRICS partners and other countries to develop artificial intelligence.
The Russian government and Sberbank, which leads Russia's AI initiatives, have been tasked with ensuring cooperation with China in technological research and development of artificial intelligence.
However, Western sanctions aimed at restricting Russia's access to technologies needed to wage war against Ukraine have complicated these efforts. In particular, the largest microchip manufacturers have stopped exporting to Russia, which significantly hinders its ambitions in the field of AI.
In 2023, Sberbank CEO German Gref noted that graphics processing units (GPUs), which are key components for AI development, remain the most difficult hardware to replace in Russia. In response, Russia is seeking to strengthen cooperation with countries outside the Western bloc to counter U.S. dominance in one of the most important technologies of the 21st century.
On December 11, Putin announced the creation of the AI Alliance Network, which is to bring together experts from the BRICS countries and other countries interested in the development of artificial intelligence.
According to the Global AI Index by the British company Tortoise Media, Russia ranks 31st among 83 countries in terms of AI adoption, innovation, and investment. It lags far behind not only the United States and China, but also India and Brazil, which are also members of the BRICS.
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