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Russia is strongly interested and ambitious in developing and applying artificial intelligence for various purposes such as military, economic, social, and scientific. But is Russia progressive in AI? How progressive Russia is in AI?

Russia faces huge challenges and limitations in AI goals such as sanctions, brain drain, and technological gap with progress in AI being mixed and uneven, depending on the sector and domain.

According to a report by the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Russia has a national AI strategy that aims to create an AI industry in Russia of USD 15 billion by 2020 and to undertake capacity development, research and innovation, incentives and engagements, and human resource development for AI-specific skill-sets. The strategy also identifies six priority areas for AI development: health care, education, agriculture, smart cities, transport, and defense.

However, the report also notes that the metrics for judging the progress of the strategy are vague and the timeframe for accomplishing the strategy is up to 2030, with mid-range deliverables by 2024. Moreover, the report points out some of the challenges and risks that Russia faces in implementing its AI strategy, such as:

• The impact of sanctions on the access to advanced hardware, software, and data that are essential for AI development and application.
• The exodus of talented and skilled AI researchers and developers from Russia to other countries offers better opportunities and incentives.
• A gap between Russia and the leading AI countries, such as the United States and China, in terms of investment, innovation, and adoption of AI technologies.

Therefore, the progress in AI is not very impressive or consistent compared to other countries. And with the recent war with Ukraine and the long-line sanctions, the situation seems to be hard for Russia to understand its position in the AI market.  

The strengths and achievements in Russia in the AI applications are:-

• Russia is a pioneer in industrial robotics, using advanced automation and machine learning to enhance the manufacturing sectors in the military.  It also has the world’s first fully automated factory, where robots perform all the tasks from production to packaging.
• Russia is a leader in facial recognition technology, using IoT sensors and cameras to monitor and manage various aspects of urban security. For example, Moscow has deployed over 200,000 cameras across the city that can identify faces and license plates with high accuracy.

• Russia is an innovator in online education platforms, using IoT devices and AI to provide personalized and adaptive learning experiences for students of different levels and backgrounds. For example, Russia has developed a platform called Stepik, which offers courses and content that are customized to the needs and preferences of learners.

The  AI projects in Russia are:-

• Speech Technology Center develops and provides speech recognition, synthesis, and analysis solutions for various domains, such as security, biometrics, education, and health care. It also offers voice assistants, chatbots, and natural language processing services.
• VisionLabs company develops and provides computer vision and machine learning solutions for various domains, such as banking, retail, security, and health care. It also offers face recognition, object detection, and video analytics services.
• Neurobotics company develops and provides robotics and AI solutions for various domains, such as education, entertainment, industry, and research. It also offers humanoid robots, robotic kits, and educational programs.

Sources:- CSET, CNA, Russia Briefing, Geohistory, CNA, Statista, Russia in the race of Artificial Intelligence