Russian President Vladimir Putin and Sberbank's CEO German Gref attend AI Journey, an international conference on artificial intelligence technology, in Moscow, Russia, on December 11, 2024. Photo: VCG

Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the government and Sberbank, the country's largest bank and a tech innovator, to team up with China to develop AI, RT reported on Wednesday. The directive tasks Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Sberbank CEO Herman Gref with spearheading the initiative. A progress report is expected by April 2025, the RT report said.

From December 11 to 13, 2024, the AI Journey, an international conference on artificial intelligence technology, was held in Moscow, where Putin emphasized the necessity of developing AI technology during his participation in the conference activities. 

Based on the outcomes of this conference, Putin signed a list of orders for relevant implementation measures. In addition to strengthening cooperation with China in the field of AI, Putin also made requests and suggestions regarding the integration of AI technology into government systems, the development of AI education and training, the organization of international AI technology conferences, the publication of international journals on AI technology, and the establishment of a platform in Moscow to showcase achievements in AI technology.

Liu Wei, director of the human-machine interaction and cognitive engineering laboratory with the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, believes the potential for cooperation between China and Russia in the field of AI is immense. Both sides can fully leverage their respective strengths, especially in areas such as finance, manufacturing, transportation, and quantum computing. Through collaboration, the two countries will promote further innovation and application of AI technology on a global scale.

Liu noted that the complementary advantages of China and Russia in the field of AI cooperation are specifically reflected in the complementarity of technological research and innovation, as well as in the complementarity of industrial applications and markets. 

On one hand, China's application capabilities, data resources, and technological foundation can provide practical application scenarios for Russia's theoretical research, while Russia's advantages in AI algorithms and fundamental theories can help China achieve deeper breakthroughs in AI research. The cooperation between the two countries in data utilization, algorithm optimization, and application innovation holds great potential, Liu told the Global Times.

On the other hand, China's strong market and industrial applications can drive the commercialization of Russian AI technologies, while Russia's experience in high-tech industries can offer China advanced application scenarios for AI technologies, particularly in fields such as energy, aerospace, and military industry, the expert noted.