President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues,
Today, with the involvement of top Russian technology companies, we will review the progress of our joint efforts in the field of artificial intelligence. Together with many of those present here, we return to this topic in various formats and settings on a regular basis. Just at the end of last year, during Sber’s specialised conference (is Mr Gref present here?), as well as at the meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, we had an extensive discussion of the exceptional and far-reaching importance of the work to develop and widely implement of these solutions.
I want to emphasise once again that artificial intelligence, along with digital platforms and autonomous systems, is shaping an entirely new landscape for the economy, public relations, the social sphere, education, healthcare, logistics and industry, as well as defence and security – in essence, for the life of the nation as a whole. The sovereignty of the Russian state in the near future – and, without exaggeration, its very existence – depends on our ability to keep pace with these global transformations.
It is also crucial to recognise the rapid pace of advancement in artificial intelligence technologies. Foundation language models and neural networks with immense computational capacity are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Until recently, such systems were tested primarily on their ability to process encyclopaedic knowledge. However, this year, during specialised evaluations, they have demonstrated remarkable capabilities for deep, interdisciplinary analysis.
Next, language models are used to create intelligent assistants, so-called artificial intelligence agents, or AI agents. They no longer simply execute specific commands and answer simple user questions; they also solve tasks assigned to them autonomously, largely without human intervention.
Crucially, these AI agents are already approaching a new level of independence. They are learning to plan their actions, evaluate outcomes, and interact both with people and with the real world. Over the past year, a notable threshold has been reached in a certain sense: in the majority of experiments, participants perceived machine responses as genuine dialogue with a real interlocutor. In other words, these systems have demonstrated the ability to convincingly imitate humans and their cognitive and even emotional behaviour.
It is expected that in the near future, such agents will also be capable of passing physical-world tests. For example, it may become difficult to determine whether a vehicle is being operated by a human driver or an autonomous AI pilot.
This underscores a key point: the widespread deployment of language models – and, obviously, their development and scaling – are of fundamental importance for the country’s future.
Experts who are present here today are well aware that the development of these language models and AI agents often relies on so-called open-source solutions, with shared libraries of algorithms created through global collaboration among developers. This cooperative resource should, of course, be used effectively.
I would like to emphasise that language models constitute a foundational, cross-cutting technology underpinning sovereign development across all sectors. Only if we have domestic models we can ensure technological progress, as well as maintain security, defence capability, and – which is vital – stay on the cutting edge in scientific and engineering fields, particularly given that our country is among the few states that boast unique competencies in this domain.
For this reason, I believe it essential to provide conditions for the creation and continued development of domestic foundation artificial intelligence models. These systems should be globally competitive while also ensuring a high degree of technological sovereignty. This implies that the full cycle of development and training should be carried out by domestic companies, enabling our engineers to have full control over key parameters of such complex systems.
I would like to make a quick remark here. To my colleagues with whom I have already met and discussed this very important and sensitive topic: please don’t be alarmed. We have gathered here today precisely to address all the details and nuances. If we borrow something from our partners, we must ensure that any further steps in building artificial intelligence architecture will guarantee solutions to security and defence challenges. We will discuss these topics now.
I would like to ask the Government to develop the financial architecture for this ambitious, nationally significant project. All relevant stakeholders must be involved in its implementation: the government, private technology companies, and, obviously, state-owned enterprises. We should also make full use of the potential offered by our defence and security programmes. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by the experience of countries that are leaders in artificial intelligence. We are familiar with this experience, including how state-owned companies operate abroad, including defence authorities, and how they allocate resources to implement such programmes. In pursuit of the objectives of defence agencies and special services, finances are allocated and both public and private funding is mobilised; this approach overall delivers strong results.
Colleagues, I would like to emphasise the practical application of advanced technologies. I have already instructed the Government, jointly with regional authorities, to develop a National Plan for the Implementation of Artificial Intelligence at the country level, with due regard for the needs of industries and the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. By 2030, these technologies and products based on them should be deployed across all sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, energy, public administration, and education.
I know that the Government and legislators are currently working on the regulatory framework for artificial intelligence. I would like to stress once again that regulation must be designed to encourage and accelerate the creation and adoption of advanced technologies rather than to constrain or slow down development. If we introduce barriers at this stage, we will inevitably fall behind in economic, technological, social, and public development.
I want to emphasise again that we are talking about ensuring the widespread, comprehensive adoption of artificial intelligence and the creation of a domestic market for such solutions in Russia. This is a priority for both domestic businesses and, of course, for federal and regional authorities.
I believe that heads of ministries and agencies should report annually on the outcomes of artificial intelligence implementation in their respective sectors. I am not referring to formal written reports, but to open, public presentations showcasing the actual solutions in use. This year, we will hear from our colleagues at a specialised exhibition as part of Sber’s annual AI Journey conference.
Colleagues, I would like to say a few words about the future organisation of our work. The commission chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin will be responsible for shaping the strategy and ensuring systemic coordination of efforts in the field of artificial intelligence. The Commission members also include representatives of the Presidential Executive Office, ministries and agencies, leading technology companies, and the State Council. The relevant executive order has already been signed.
I would like to ask the Commission to review and propose comprehensive solutions this year, including in the following key areas.
First, the development of programmes for the accelerated deployment of artificial intelligence across priority sectors of the economy and the social sphere, as well as in public administration.
Second, the entire human development system, from primary education to the labour market, must be aligned with the extensive adoption of artificial intelligence. It is essential to promptly modernise training and retraining mechanisms, as well as levels of education, to reflect the emerging technological paradigm.
Third, given the expanding use of artificial intelligence in sensitive sectors and its growing overall impact on individuals, society, and the economy, I consider it crucial to assess the main risks and threats associated with such systems and to identify timely measures to mitigate them.
Fourth, the development of domestic artificial intelligence solutions for national defence and security. Once again, we must possess cutting-edge technologies and rely on sovereign, domestically developed products. I have already mentioned certain nuances and specifics in this regard, which we will now, of course, discuss further.
Fifth, the creation of a comprehensive framework to promote Russian artificial intelligence systems and related services in international markets, as well as to expand cooperation in this strategically important field with our partners in the CIS, SCO, and BRICS.
Let me reiterate that I expect the Commission to consolidate the efforts of business, the scientific community, and the government, and to serve as an effective coordinating centre for the advancement of artificial intelligence in our country.
Let us proceed to discuss the proposed issues. Mr Grigorenko, please go ahead.
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