Putin orders Russia's top bank to team up with China in AI push to challenge Western tech dominance
Jan 06, 2025 - businessinsider.com
Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed his government and Sberbank to collaborate with China on artificial intelligence (AI) development, as part of efforts to find technological alternatives following Western sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This move is seen as part of Putin's broader strategy to challenge Western dominance, particularly in technology. The collaboration was announced on the Kremlin's website and follows Putin's earlier announcement of a BRICS AI Alliance Network. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Sberbank CEO German Gref have been tasked with leading this initiative, with a progress report expected by April.
Russia has been working to establish parallel systems to Western technologies, facing challenges due to sanctions that have restricted access to critical tech components like semiconductor chips and advanced computer hardware. Sberbank CEO Gref highlighted the difficulty in substituting graphics cards for AI and supercomputers. Despite these challenges, Russia aims to focus on developing large language models. A potential AI partnership with China raises concerns about censorship, as China's AI development is closely monitored to align with "core socialist values."
Key takeaways:
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered cooperation with China on artificial intelligence, involving the Russian government and Sberbank.
Russia is seeking technological alternatives due to Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.
A Russia-China AI partnership may raise concerns over issues such as censorship.
Russia is focusing on developing large language models to catch up with the US and China in AI.
