Russia seeks AI alliance with China amid western sanctions
Vladimir Putin has instructed the Russian government and the main bank, Sberbank, to enhance cooperation with China in the field of AI technology, as reported by the Reuters agency.
A directive regarding this matter was published on the Kremlin's website on Wednesday, 1 January. Reuters notes that this announcement came three weeks after Putin declared that Russia would collaborate with partners from the BRICS and other countries to advance artificial intelligence.
According to the published guidelines, Vladimir Putin has mandated the Russian government and the state bank Sberbank to "ensure further co-operation with the People's Republic of China in technological research and development in the field of artificial intelligence."
Western sanctions aimed at limiting Moscow's access to technology used in its invasion of Ukraine have led the world's largest microprocessor manufacturers to halt exports to Russia. This has significantly curtailed Moscow's ambitions in the realm of artificial intelligence.
German Gref, the president of Sberbank, admitted in 2023 that it is challenging for Russia to replace graphic processing units (GPUs), which are essential for developing artificial intelligence.
Russia ranks 31st out of 83 countries in the Global Artificial Intelligence Index (Global AI Index). According to Reuters, by cooperating with countries outside the Western world, Russia aims to challenge the United States' dominance in one of the most promising and crucial technologies of the 21st century.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, China has strengthened its ties with Russia, though Beijing has officially denied allegations of supporting Russian military actions.
