Russian leader Vladimir Putin declared that Russia’s future in artificial intelligence must be built entirely on its own cultural and linguistic foundations. Speaking at the Russian Geographical Society congress in Moscow on October 23, he emphasized that “only by relying on our culture, history, linguistic wealth, traditions and traditional values can we create precisely sovereign models of artificial intelligence.”
Putin warned that copying Western technologies would lead to what he described as “technological and ideological dependence,” underscoring the government’s drive to achieve full autonomy in digital systems.
His remarks, published by RIA Novosti, echoed earlier statements in which he called technological sovereignty a “key factor of national independence.”
According to the Kremlin transcript, Putin said that Russia’s scientists and engineers should focus on “AI that understands the Russian language, our cultural codes, and national priorities.” He added that such systems must reflect “the moral and historical experience of our people” rather than imitate “foreign algorithms built on alien values.”
State media reported that his comments come as Moscow channels significant investment into domestic machine learning and neural network projects, amid tightening Western sanctions that restrict access to advanced semiconductors. In 2024, the Russian government approved a multi-year strategy for “digital sovereignty,” with funding exceeding $1.2 billion for AI research through 2030.
Analysts interpret the emphasis on “sovereign AI” as part of a broader political and ideological agenda. The Atlantic Council noted that Moscow’s focus on AI independence combines national security goals with efforts to promote a distinctly Russian worldview in emerging technologies.
Earlier, it was reported that Russia uses artificial intelligence to produce deepfake videos of fallen soldiers, turning grief into propaganda that glorifies war deaths on social media.
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