Russia Promotes Sovereign AI To Global South As Demand For Local Models Grows
Russia is positioning itself as a provider of “sovereign AI” solutions for countries in the Global South, arguing that locally tailored artificial intelligence models can offer greater control over privacy, cultural values and data governance than Western alternatives.
The strategy was outlined by Alexander Vedyakhin, First Deputy CEO of Sberbank, Russia’s largest lender and a major AI developer, in an interview ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. According to Vedyakhin, many emerging economies are seeking AI systems that align with local priorities while avoiding the high costs associated with developing advanced models independently.
Demand Rising For Locally Trained AI Models
Russia’s AI ambitions are being led by Sberbank’s GigaChat and Yandex’s YandexGPT, two flagship models developed as the country seeks to narrow the gap with leading AI powers such as the United States and China.
Vedyakhin said that many countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania are interested in AI systems trained on local content and adapted to national requirements.
He argued that while sovereign AI models may initially trail leading systems developed by companies such as Anthropic, Grok and DeepSeek in overall capability, they can offer an advantage by reflecting local values, languages and regulatory preferences.
According to Vedyakhin, this approach is attracting interest from countries that want greater control over their digital infrastructure but lack the resources to build large-scale AI models from scratch.
Shift Towards Smaller And More Efficient Models
Vedyakhin also highlighted a broader trend within the AI industry towards smaller, more specialised models designed for specific tasks.
He said businesses increasingly prefer efficient systems that solve practical problems rather than extremely large models with vast numbers of parameters. For example, a model built for credit scoring does not require broad knowledge of rare dialects or literature if those capabilities do not contribute to its primary function.
As a result, he believes the next stage of AI development will focus on model compression, enabling companies to reduce computing requirements while maintaining performance for targeted applications.
Russia Seeks To Strengthen AI Capabilities
President Vladimir Putin recently stated that Russia is among only a handful of countries capable of developing advanced domestic AI models suitable for sensitive applications, including government administration and defence.
At the same time, Russia continues to face challenges related to access to advanced computing hardware. Western sanctions have restricted the country’s ability to acquire cutting-edge chips, prompting Russian firms to explore alternative suppliers.
During Putin’s visit to China in May, Sberbank CEO German Gref discussed the potential purchase of Chinese-made semiconductors to support the development and expansion of GigaChat.
Hardware And Software Challenges Remain
Vedyakhin pointed to the dominance of US chipmaker Nvidia as a key factor shaping the global AI industry. He argued that Nvidia’s success stems not only from its hardware but also from its CUDA software platform, which has become the industry standard for training and operating large language models.
According to him, competing chip manufacturers face the difficult task of building alternative software ecosystems capable of attracting developers and achieving widespread adoption.
Despite these challenges, Vedyakhin believes artificial intelligence could significantly boost productivity across the Russian economy. He estimated that AI could increase productivity by between 11% and 22% in some sectors while helping redirect labour towards industries such as construction.
Practical Robotics Applications Under Development
Beyond software, Sberbank is also exploring practical applications for AI-powered robotics. Vedyakhin said he encouraged his teams to focus on useful industrial solutions rather than demonstration projects designed purely for publicity.
One example is an AI-powered tiling robot currently undergoing testing. However, he noted that the machine still depends on humans to prepare surfaces to the required standard before it can operate effectively.
The project reflects Russia’s broader effort to develop AI technologies that deliver practical economic benefits while supporting its vision of greater technological self-sufficiency.
With inputs from Reuters
