This notice establishes the Ministry of Economic Development (MoED) as the main AI policymaking body of the Russian government. It defines what “AI” means to Russia, and describes the Russian government’s plan to develop a robust AI industry. The plan stipulates that the Russian government will promote funding for science and technology, acquire datasets and hardware needed for AI development, formulate new methods to regulate AI, and absorb foreign capital and knowledge to accelerate the development of a Russian AI industry. Finally, the notice announces the creation of an AI subcommittee co-chaired by MoED Minister Maxim Reshetnikov and Sberbank Chairman Herman Gref.
The Russian source text is available online at: https://www.economy.gov.ru/material/departments/d01/razvitie_iskusstvennogo_intellekta/
An archived version of the Russian source text is available online at: https://perma.cc/6JQS-PBRF
Development of Artificial Intelligence
Departments
- Department of Strategic Development and Innovations
Artificial intelligence is a trending field that encompasses all the developed nations of the world.
As such, more than 30 countries have formulated national strategies for the development of artificial intelligence (Canada, Singapore, China, Kenya, Denmark, France, etc.).
International experts estimate that investments in artificial intelligence technologies tripled from 2014 through 2017, amounting to approximately U.S. $40 billion.
In the absence of due attention to this industry from the state, Russia runs the risk of missing out on a potential technological breakthrough. The global market for technological solutions based on artificial intelligence will be divided among competing countries, which will hinder Russia’s development in strategically vital sectors of the economy and slow its development.
In Russia, artificial intelligence is taken to mean a set of technological solutions that makes it possible to imitate human cognitive functions (including self-learning and finding solutions without a predetermined algorithm) and to obtain results that are at least comparable to those of human intellectual activity during the performance of specific tasks.