Russia is falling sharply behind its global rivals in the race to develop artificial intelligence, weighed down by political suspicion of digital technologies, heavy-handed state control and the economic fallout of war. Despite once being a scientific superpower, the country now ranks well below both major and smaller economies in the strength of its AI sector, highlighting a widening gap between Moscow and the world’s leading innovators.
A study released by Stanford University in November ranked Russia 28th out of 36 countries for overall AI capability, placing it behind every major world economy and even trailing smaller nations such as Luxembourg, Belgium and Ireland. The index measured investment in research and development as well as the depth of national talent pools, areas in which Russia performed poorly. The country has no companies among the world’s top 100 technology firms by market capitalisation, and none of its universities appear in the top 200 global AI research institutions.
The gap was symbolically underscored at a Moscow technology event last November, when Russia’s first AI-powered humanoid robot was unveiled and promptly collapsed on stage. The incident contrasted starkly with the Soviet Union’s historic emphasis on technological achievement, from Lenin’s electrification drive to Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering spaceflight, which once positioned science and engineering at the heart of national ambition.
While Russia continues to produce world-class programmers, frequently topping international coding competitions, experts say the broader environment is hostile to innovation. President Vladimir Putin, who does not own a smartphone and has long expressed distrust of the internet, has overseen a steady contraction of Russia’s digital space. Major platforms including Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and X have been banned, and the Kremlin has proposed new legislation granting security services sweeping powers to shut down communications.
Economists argue that such restrictions discourage investment and stifle start-up culture, both essential for AI development. Companies face the risk of prosecution if state-backed investments fail, while successful technologies can be punished if they clash with political narratives. Even domestic AI tools have come under scrutiny. Alice, Russia’s conversational assistant developed by Yandex, has avoided politically sensitive questions after being criticised by senior officials for refusing to conform to the Kremlin’s position on Ukraine.
At the same time, the state has embraced AI where it serves military or propaganda goals. Russian forces are pursuing autonomous weapons systems, and AI-generated deepfakes have been deployed in information warfare, including fabricated videos portraying Ukrainian soldiers surrendering. However, analysts say these uses do little to compensate for the broader damage to the civilian AI ecosystem.
The war in Ukraine has accelerated Russia’s technological decline. An estimated 100,000 IT specialists left the country in 2022 alone, roughly 10 per cent of the tech workforce, while sanctions have severely restricted access to advanced components. State-owned Sberbank reportedly acquired just 9,000 graphics processing units since the invasion, compared with hundreds of thousands purchased by leading US firms in a single year.
As artificial intelligence reshapes the global economy, Russia risks becoming increasingly dependent on China for advanced technologies. For President Putin, however, economists suggest that economic modernisation is a secondary concern. His priority remains political control and geopolitical leverage, even if that means surrendering leadership in one of the defining industries of the 21st century.
