Russia is moving to tighten its grip on artificial intelligence by introducing new regulatory proposals that could limit or block foreign AI tools within the country. The draft rules, published by the Ministry for Digital Development of Russia, aim to expand oversight of the fast-growing AI sector.
The proposal suggests that foreign AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini may face restrictions or bans if they do not comply with local regulations. These measures are part of Russia’s broader push to build a sovereign internet system that limits foreign influence and aligns with what it calls “traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.”
In a statement, the ministry said the new rules are intended to “help protect citizens from covert manipulation and discriminatory algorithms.”
The initiative could benefit domestic AI players such as Sberbank and Yandex, which are actively developing local AI solutions. The move also reflects increasing state control over digital infrastructure in the country.
According to the proposed framework, “The operation of cross-border artificial intelligence technologies may be prohibited or restricted in cases specified by the legislation of the Russian Federation.”
Officials explained that cross-border AI includes systems where user data, queries, and interactions are transmitted outside Russia. This would apply to most foreign AI models developed by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
However, some foreign open AI models, including China-based tools like Qwen and DeepSeek, could still be used if deployed within closed systems where data remains inside Russian infrastructure.
The proposed rules also require AI platforms used by more than 500,000 users daily to store Russian user data within the country for 3 years. Similar demands have previously been resisted by several Western tech firms.
The regulations are expected to come into force next year after further review and approval.
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