Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian government and one of its top banks Sberbank, to build up its partnership in the space of artificial intelligence (AI) with China.
This message was published on the Kremlin’s website on Wednesday, three weeks after Putin announced that Russia would team up with BRICS partners and other nations to advance its AI development.
Putin has highlighted to the government and Russian top bank Sberbank, the need to lead Russia’s AI actions, to “ensure the further partnership with China in technological research and the development in the field of artificial intelligence.”
Western sanctions focused on limiting Moscow’s access to necessary technologies for its ongoing conflict with Ukraine have led major microchip producers to halt exports to Russia, significantly hindering its AI ambitions.
As reported by The Economic Times, the Sberbank CEO German Gref acknowledged in 2023 that graphics processing units (GPUs), essential for AI development, are mainly a challenge for Russia to replace.
By collaborating with non-Western countries, Russia aims to challenge the dominance of the United States in one of the most promising and vital technologies of the 21st century.
On December 11, Putin said that a new AI Alliance Network would unite specialists from BRICS nations and other interested countries.
According to UK-based Tortoise Media’s Global AI Index, At present, Russia ranks in the 31st position out of 83 countries which shows that it is behind both the United States and China, as well as fellow BRICS members India and Brazil in terms of AI implementation, innovation, and investment.
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