Technology

Did an AI war just get one step closer? Putin confirms Russia is planning its own national AI taskforce

2025-11-23 14:04
491 views
Did an AI war just get one step closer? Putin confirms Russia is planning its own national AI taskforce

Russia establishes a national AI taskforce to strengthen domestic LLMs, deploy humanoid robots, and develop autonomous drones for strategic operations.

  1. Pro
Did an AI war just get one step closer? Putin confirms Russia is planning its own national AI taskforce News By Efosa Udinmwen published 23 November 2025

A Russian national AI task force is coming soon

Comments (0) ()

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Vladmir Putin on national AI initiative (Image credit: Reuters)
  • Russia forms a national AI task force to ensure technological and national sovereignty
  • President Putin insists only Russian-designed AI systems will serve national security purposes
  • Sberbank and Yandex develop homegrown LLMs like Gigachat and Yandex GPT

President Vladimir Putin has confirmed Russia will establish a national task force to coordinate the development and deployment of domestically produced artificial intelligence.

The initiative aims to reinforce Russian technological sovereignty and reduce reliance on foreign systems as other nations streak ahead in AI development.

  • Amazon Black Friday deals are live: here are our picks!

The task force will focus on building new data centers and securing reliable energy sources, including small-scale nuclear power stations, to sustain AI infrastructure.

You may like
  • An American flag flying outside the US Capitol building against a blue sky Trump administration wants to use federal power to challenge state AI laws
  • Representation of AI AI belongs to humanity, not superpowers
  • An AI face in profile against a digital background. The UK and Japan could lead a global alliance for responsible AI

Putin is at the center of things

Putin claimed AI-powered technologies are expected to contribute over 11 trillion roubles to the country’s gross domestic product by 2030.

He called for a national AI implementation plan alongside the task force and urged both state institutions and private companies to integrate AI more fully into operations.

"For Russia, it is a matter of national, technological and value-based sovereignty. Therefore, our country must possess a comprehensive set of its own technologies and products in the field of generative AI," Putin said at AI Journey, an AI event in the country.

Despite lagging far behind the United States and China, some Russian firms claim to have developed large-language models, including Gigachat and Yandex GPT, through Sberbank and Yandex.

Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletterContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Sberbank in particular says it has evolved from a traditional bank into a technology-focused company, demonstrating humanoid robots to health-scanning ATMs at the event.

Putin emphasized dependence on foreign LLMs is unacceptable, stating only Russian-designed AI systems should be employed for national security and intelligence gathering.

Russian authorities are reportedly working on autonomous drones capable of operating in swarms and striking targets at distances of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles).

You may like
  • An American flag flying outside the US Capitol building against a blue sky Trump administration wants to use federal power to challenge state AI laws
  • Representation of AI AI belongs to humanity, not superpowers
  • An AI face in profile against a digital background. The UK and Japan could lead a global alliance for responsible AI

Ukrainian drone experts have highlighted these developments as potentially transformative for military operations, especially with AI-enhanced targeting and coordination.

Putin also stated excessive regulation should not hinder AI progress, and military or civilian applications will be developed under the national framework.

Western sanctions, which restrict hardware imports including microchips, have constrained Russia’s ability to expand its computing capacity and develop AI tools at scale.

The national task force plans to mitigate these issues by focusing on domestic production of necessary components and ensuring a continuous energy supply.

Via Cybernews

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.

Efosa UdinmwenEfosa UdinmwenFreelance Journalist

Efosa has been writing about technology for over 7 years, initially driven by curiosity but now fueled by a strong passion for the field. He holds both a Master's and a PhD in sciences, which provided him with a solid foundation in analytical thinking.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more An American flag flying outside the US Capitol building against a blue sky Trump administration wants to use federal power to challenge state AI laws    Representation of AI AI belongs to humanity, not superpowers    An AI face in profile against a digital background. The UK and Japan could lead a global alliance for responsible AI    ChatGPT app on an iPhone UK ChatGPT users will finally have a say in where their data is stored    Scary AI An AI executive's dire warnings about the future are chilling – but his solution is worse than the problem    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang giving a speech "China is going to win the AI race" - Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang makes bold proclamation, says we all need a little less "cynicism" in our lives    Latest in Pro Person in suit behind a court gavel and some old scales The router wars are heating up - TP-Link says "smear campaign" by Netgear painted it as US national security risk    Jimdo Jimdo adds AI to its website builder, promises better business outcomes    Comet Browser AI Perplexity responds to Comet browser vulnerability claims, argues "fake news"    cables going into the back of a broadband router on white background D-Link routers under threat from dangerous flaw - here's how to stay safe    A representational concept of a social media network Second-order prompt injection can turn AI into a malicious insider    A person holding a phone looking at a text with warning signs Too good to be true? Be careful when looking through those Black Friday offers - they might be a scam    Latest in News How to watch Fake Friend: The Ticket Scammer online — it's *FREE* How to watch Fake Friend: The Ticket Scammer online — it's *FREE*    Prisoner 915 factual drama tells the harrowing true story of Nazanin Zaghari‑Ratcliffe and her fight for freedom – watch free on BBC and BBC iPlayer. How to watch Prisoner 951 online — it's *FREE* on BBC iPlayer    Changing Ends season 3 (2025) the autobiographical comedy based on the life of Alan Carr (pictured wearing signature black glasses) How to watch Changing Ends season 3 on ITV — it's *FREE*    The Age of Disclosure movie poster featuring a UFO hovering above US congress building – here's how to watch and stream The Age of Disclosure online and from anywhere How to watch The Age of Disclosure online – stream 'credible' UFO documentary, cheapest ways    Windows 11 Full Screen Experience screenshot The Full Screen Experience is moving from handhelds to full PCs    MacBook Air M4 These three relatively affordable products could start off Apple's 2026    LATEST ARTICLES