Putin claims that Russia is forming an AI alliance with the BRICS

President Vladimir Putin declared on Wednesday that Russia will work with its BRICS allies and other nations to create artificial intelligence in an effort to challenge the United States’ hegemony in one of the most important and promising technologies of the twenty-first century.

Putin stated the new AI Alliance Network will comprise national associations and AI development institutes from BRICS nations and other interested governments while speaking at Russia’s premier AI conference.

“Russia has to be on an equal footing in the global competition to develop powerful artificial intelligence. Russian experts are now working on these cutting-edge solutions,” Putin said at a Moscow AI conference.

“We invite scientists from all over the world to join in the collaboration,” he said.

Due to Western sanctions aimed at preventing Russia from obtaining the technology it needs to continue its war against Ukraine, the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers have stopped exporting to Russia, severely restricting its aspirations in the field of artificial intelligence.

Although Sberbank (SBER.MM), Russia’s largest lender, is leading the country’s AI development, Sberbank CEO German Gref admitted in 2023 that the most difficult hardware for Russia to replace is graphics processing units (GPUs), which are the microchips that power AI development.

In addition to Serbia, Indonesia, and other non-BRICS nations, the bank said on Wednesday that national AI associations from BRICS members Brazil, China, India, and South Africa have joined the AI Alliance Network.

The network would enable collaborative study on technology and AI policy, it added, and offer chances for AI goods to be marketed in member nations.

When it comes to AI support, Russia wants to join the leading nations.

The two most powerful AI nations in the world are the United States and China. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has appointed a “White House AI and Crypto Czar” to assist guarantee that the US continues to be the most wealthy and technologically sophisticated nation in the world.

However, the AI race may shift as a result of Putin’s decision to form an alliance with China.

Along with the United States, China, Britain, and Israel, Russia is one of ten nations creating its own generative AI models. According to the Moscow-based consulting firm Yakov and Partners, which was founded by former McKinsey staff, this offers it the chance to grow into a far more important role.

In 2030, Russia expects the adoption of AI technology in all industries to boost GDP by 11.2 trillion roubles ($109 billion), up from 0.2 trillion roubles ($1.9 billion) in 2023.

According to its AI policy, by 2030, 80% of Russian workers should be proficient in AI, up from 5% in 2023, and AI investment should increase sevenfold to 850 billion rubles.

Technology leader Yandex dominates the Russian domestic AI industry with its YandexGPT model, while Sberbank has created a generative AI model dubbed GigaChat.

Russia is now well behind not just the US and China but also other BRICS nations India and Brazil in terms of AI deployment, innovation, and investment, ranking 31st out of 83 countries on the UK-based Tortoise Media’s Global AI Index, opens new tab.

Russia is ranked 29th out of 36 nations using Stanford University’s AI vibrancy tool, which opens a new tab, based on 42 AI variables, including research and development.

$1 equates to 106.9955 rubles.