China and Russia Forge Major Tech Collaboration To Challenge US

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government and Sberbank, Moscow’s largest state-owned bank, to collaborate with China on developing AI technology in what is likely an effort to challenge the U.S., according to Reuters. In instructions on the Kremlin’s website published on Wednesday, Putin wrote that the entities should “ensure further cooperation with the People’s Republic of China in technological research and development in the field of artificial intelligence.” Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the U.K. for comment via email. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping shake hands at a press briefing in 2018. Putin recently announced that the Russian government and a state-owned bank will collaborate with China on developing AI…. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping shake hands at a press briefing in 2018. Putin recently announced that the Russian government and a state-owned bank will collaborate with China on developing AI. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press Why It Matters China is one of the leading world powers in terms of AI development, so the country could aid Russia in developing AI-powered weapons and more, adding to the war with Ukraine. The battle between countries around the world to become the top AI developers will likely become the focus of the next five years, as investment and research into AI only seem to be growing, and it may come to play a role in politics, economics, and society at large. What To Know Putin recently announced that Russia will work with other countries who are members of BRICS, an international alliance comprising member nations including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, to develop AI. In doing so, the Russian president said that he wants to create an AI alliance, which is meant to combat U.S. advancements in AI development. Sanctions imposed by the West limit Russia’s ability to pursue its AI objectives, as Moscow is unable to access the technologies needed to explore the tech, including microchips. In 2023, Sberbank CEO German Gref noted that Russia’s lack of access to graphics processing units, the microchips that support AI development, make progress in this realm difficult. Russian efforts to develop AI have been focused on implementing the new technology in the combat environment, to aid its war effort with Ukraine, according to the Center for a New American Security. The Russian government is also reportedly focused particularly on AI development for information and cyber operations. In its nearly four-year war with Ukraine, Moscow has used AI on the battlefield, as the Russians have utilized AI-powered anti-drone devices, and for military training, cyber warfare, and operations with unmanned systems, according to the International Center for Defense and Security. China, like Russia, has also been developing AI for combat purposes and has begun to develop fully autonomous AI-powered “killer robots.” Beijing and Moscow have reportedly already begun to collaborate on developing AI weaponry. The U.K.’s Tortoise Media’s Global AI Index for 2024 places the U.S. at the top of AI innovation, with Russia ranking 31 out of 83 countries; China ranks second. Another AI index report from Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered AI also found that the U.S. outpaces China in terms of AI development, and that the “gap is widening,” as the U.S. pushes ahead regarding research output and private investment. What People Are Saying In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jacob Charite, a pro-Russia user, wrote: “Putin instructs Cabinet to provide support to Russian regions in using safe artificial intelligence technologies in public administration—Kremlin. “The head of state also instructed the government and Sberbank to ensure cooperation with China in conducting technological research in the field of AI.” What Happens Next Russia and China’s collaboration on AI development could lead to the deployment of “killer robots” at some point in the future as the war progresses, and only time will tell how this AI development will affect Moscow’s war strategy.