Russia's AI Potential by 2030

By Gleb Bryanski and Elena Fabrichnaya

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia has the potential to improve its position in global AI ratings by 2030 despite Western sanctions, thanks to talented developers and its own generative AI models, according to Alexander Vedyakhin, first deputy CEO of Russia's largest lender, Sberbank.

Sberbank leads AI development in Russia, which currently ranks 31st of 83 countries by AI implementation, innovation, and investment on UK-based Tortoise Media's Global AI Index. This places Russia behind not only the United States and China but also fellow BRICS members India and Brazil.

> “I am confident that Russia can significantly improve its current positions in international rankings by 2030 through its own developments and supportive regulation in the field of generative AI,” Vedyakhin stated in an interview.

Vedyakhin noted that Russia is currently 6 to 9 months behind the leaders, the United States and China, while Western sanctions have restricted the country’s computer power capabilities.

> “The sanctions were aimed at limiting Russia's computing power, but we are trying to compensate for the shortage with our talented scientists and engineers,” he added.

He mentioned that rather than competing with the U.S. and China in constructing giant data centers, Russia would focus on developing smart AI models, similar to Meta’s Llama, emphasizing that Russian language generative AI models ensure technological sovereignty.

> “I believe that any country that sees itself as independent on the world stage should have its own large language model,” Vedyakhin stated, noting that Russia is among ten countries developing national generative AI models.

On December 11, President Vladimir Putin emphasized that Russia would collaborate with BRICS partners and other nations to develop AI, aiming to challenge U.S. dominance in this promising technology.

Vedyakhin expressed that both China and Europe are losing their edge in AI due to excessive regulation, hoping the government will uphold AI-supportive regulations in the future.

> “If we deprive our scientists and major corporations of the right to experiment now, it will halt the development of technology. As soon as bans appear, we may start losing the AI race in artificial intelligence,” Vedyakhin warned.

Furthermore, many AI developers left Russia in recent years, particularly during the mobilization drive for the Ukraine conflict in 2022. However, Vedyakhin noted that some are returning home, attracted by opportunities in Russia's AI sector.