Did an AI war just get one step closer? Putin confirms Russia is planning its own national AI taskforce

• Russia forms a national AI task force to ensure technological and national sovereignty
• President Putin insists only Russian-designed AI systems will serve national security purposes
• Sberbank and Yandex develop homegrown LLMs like Gigachat and Yandex GPT

President Vladimir Putin has confirmed Russia will establish a national task force to coordinate the development and deployment of domestically produced artificial intelligence.

The initiative aims to reinforce Russian technological sovereignty and reduce reliance on foreign systems as other nations streak ahead in AI development.

The task force will focus on building new data centers and securing reliable energy sources, including small-scale nuclear power stations, to sustain AI infrastructure.

Putin is at the center of things

Putin claimed AI-powered technologies are expected to contribute over 11 trillion roubles to the country’s gross domestic product by 2030.

He called for a national AI implementation plan alongside the task force and urged both state institutions and private companies to integrate AI more fully into operations.

"For Russia, it is a matter of national, technological and value-based sovereignty. Therefore, our country must possess a comprehensive set of its own technologies and products in the field of generative AI," Putin said at AI Journey, an AI event in the country.

Despite lagging far behind the United States and China, some Russian firms claim to have developed large-language models, including Gigachat and Yandex GPT, through Sberbank and Yandex.

Sberbank in particular says it has evolved from a traditional bank into a technology-focused company, demonstrating humanoid robots to health-scanning ATMs at the event.

Putin emphasized dependence on foreign LLMs is unacceptable, stating only Russian-designed AI systems should be employed for national security and intelligence gathering.

Russian authorities are reportedly working on autonomous drones capable of operating in swarms and striking targets at distances of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles).

Ukrainian drone experts have highlighted these developments as potentially transformative for military operations, especially with AI-enhanced targeting and coordination.

Putin also stated excessive regulation should not hinder AI progress, and military or civilian applications will be developed under the national framework.

Western sanctions, which restrict hardware imports including microchips, have constrained Russia’s ability to expand its computing capacity and develop AI tools at scale.

The national task force plans to mitigate these issues by focusing on domestic production of necessary components and ensuring a continuous energy supply.

Via Cybernews

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