Russia Initiates Formal AI Risk Assessment, Citing 'Sensitive Sectors' and Societal Impact

MOSCOW, April 10 – President Vladimir Putin has formally directed Russia's national AI commission to develop models for assessing risks and threats associated with artificial intelligence. The order, issued during a high-level meeting on AI development, signals a move toward more structured governance as the technology's influence grows.

"Given the expansion of AI implementation, especially in sensitive sectors, and its increasing effect on people's lives, society, and the economy, I consider it necessary to calculate models of the main risks and threats," Putin stated. He instructed the commission to define measures for the timely prevention of those identified dangers.

The meeting convened a powerful cross-section of the Russian state and its leading tech enterprises. Attendees included Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, and Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Federal Security Service (FSB). German Gref, CEO of state-owned Sberbank, which has heavily invested in AI, also participated.

The composition of the group underscores the strategic nature of the initiative, linking economic, defense, security, and municipal policy leaders with domestic technology firms described as global AI contenders. The directive establishes a framework for evaluating AI's potential downsides, reflecting a broader, global pattern of governments seeking to balance innovation with oversight.

Source: RIA Novosti