Russia’s Drive for AI: Do Deeds Match the Words?

Russia's Drive for AI: Do Deeds Match the Words?Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are at the heart of an unfold- ing global technological competition which has the potential to threaten strategic stability and international security.While the focus of both academic and policy debates has been on the rivalry between China and the United States, Russia has also been named as a key player in the competition, not least due to Moscow actively claiming that it prioritizes both civilian and military AI development.Russia's strong interest in AI is mostly fueled by drivers similar to other states, but includes some distinct characteristics such as a connection to Russia's self-perceived great power status and an emphasis on independence from foreign technologies as part of the country's quest for technological sovereignty.Russia pursues an official policy of seeking independence from foreign critical technologies, which it links to its role of challenging the Western-led world order. 1 That said, Russia's AI case features a clear gap between the leadership's rhetoric and the country's capabilities.Russia's ability to achieve its objective of