Russian leader Vladimir Putin ordered his government and the country’s largest bank, Sberbank, to deepen cooperation on artificial intelligence development with China.

This directive was published on the Kremlin’s website on Wednesday, Jan. 1, just three weeks after Russia’s announcement that it would work with BRICS partners and other nations to boost AI technology.

Putin’s order tasks both the government and Sberbank, which is spearheading Russia’s AI initiatives, to “ensure further cooperation with the People’s Republic of China in technological research and development in the field of artificial intelligence.”

Sanctions have severely impacted Russia’s AI ambitions, as global microchip producers have halted exports to the country after its surprise full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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In 2023, Sberbank CEO German Gref said that replacing essential graphics processors (GPUs) – key for AI development – has been one of Russia’s most significant technological challenges.

The US currently dominates in AI development, but on Dec. 11, Putin announced the formation of a new AI Alliance Network, which aims to unite specialists from BRICS nations and other interested countries.

Currently, Russia ranks 31st out of 83 countries in the Global AI Index, which tracks AI adoption, innovation, and investment.

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