Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his government and the Russian banking giant Sberbank to collaborate with China on artificial intelligence, as reported on the Kremlin's website on December 30.
Delegation and Progress Report
Putin assigned Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Sberbank CEO German Gref to lead the efforts in advancing technological research and development in artificial intelligence, with a progress report expected by April.
Impact of Sanctions
These instructions come in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which led to severe sanctions imposed by Western countries. These sanctions have significantly affected Russia's access to financial technologies, pushing the country to seek alternative solutions such as parallel imports and domestic substitutes.
Challenges in Tech Alternatives
Russia has been working on establishing alternative systems for processing payments and transporting sanctioned oil globally. However, the search for tech alternatives to Western products has proven to be challenging, with a former top Russian finance official mentioning in September 2022 that Russia may be reliant on second-grade technology for years, requiring substantial resources to recreate existing technologies.
Key Areas of Impact
The impact of Western sanctions has been particularly felt in goods such as semiconductor chips, aviation parts, and medical products. Sberbank CEO Gref highlighted the difficulties in substituting graphics cards for AI and supercomputers.
Technological Gap with the US and China
Restrictions imposed by the US on advanced computer chip sales to Russia have further exacerbated the challenges. Alexander Vedyakhin, the first deputy CEO of Sberbank, noted that Russia lags behind the US and China by six to nine months in various AI parameters.
Focus on Large Language Models
Russia aims to concentrate on developing large language models rather than investing in extensive data centers, as stated by Vedyakhin. This strategic shift reflects Russia's intent to strengthen its AI capabilities.
Broader Concerns
Besides the implications for sanctions evasion, a potential partnership between Russia and China in AI raises broader concerns. China's advancements in AI have sparked worries about censorship, given the tight control over expression in the country. Chinese officials have tested large language models to align with "core socialist values," as reported by the Financial Times in July.
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By: htan@insider.com (Huileng Tan)
Title: Russian President Vladimir Putin Orders Collaboration with China on Artificial Intelligence
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/russia-putin-artificial-intelligence-ai-tech-china-sberbank-challenge-west-2025-1
Published Date: Mon, 06 Jan 2025 07:19:39 +0000
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