Russia: Putin Orders Government, National Bank to Cooperate with China on AI

Russia: Putin Orders Government, National Bank to Cooperate with China on AI
Above: Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin speaks during a press conference after the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council Meeting, Dec. 26, 2024. Image copyright: Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Pres. Vladimir Putin has reportedly ordered the Russian government, along with Russia's PJSC Sberbank, to collaborate with China "in conducting technological research and development" in the field of artificial intelligence.

  • The development came in the form of instructions published on the Kremlin web portal on New Year's Day, which also declared that Sberbank is leading Russia's AI development efforts. This comes three weeks after Russia announced its collaboration with BRICS in AI development.

  • On Dec. 11, Russia declared a new AI Alliance Network to unite specialists from BRICS countries, which has reportedly worked on developing AI-powered Shahed drones with the aim of producing drone swarms.

The Spin

Pro-Russia narrative

Russia and China’s strategic collaboration in artificial intelligence reflects a pragmatic counterbalance to the West’s dominance. By pooling their resources, the two nations aim to secure technological parity while bolstering geopolitical ties. Western efforts to criticize or intervene will only deepen this partnership, as mutual interests drive innovation across sectors.

Anti-Russia narrative

Russia-China collaboration on AI has the potential to destabilize the world. It would reinforce oppressive regimes, counter Western influence, and fuel global instability. Moscow’s reliance on Beijing underscores the risks of authoritarian alignment in shaping the technology — efforts to counter this partnership are key to safeguarding the world order and upholding democratic values.

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