Russia will not impose a ban on foreign neural networks until 2032
Mikhail T. (Sh0ny)
22 июня 20261 min read
In short
A new AI bill relaxes the requirements: the use of foreign neural networks in existing systems is permitted until 2032, provided that data is stored in Russia. Private businesses retain the freedom to choose their technologies, and the restrictions will apply only to sensitive sectors.
Russian authorities have decided not to ban the use of foreign neural networks in systems already in operation. According to the final version of the bill on artificial intelligence, the transition period will last until 2032.
What the bill provides for
- Permission to use foreign AI models in government and critical infrastructure until 2032, provided that data is stored and processed within Russia.
- A move away from mandatory training of domestic large language models exclusively on Russian data—this reduces the risk of slowing down the industry’s development.
- Restrictions will apply only to sensitive sectors, while the private sector will retain the freedom to choose technologies, as explained by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko.
What This Means for Business
A significant portion of Russian AI services today are built on open-source foreign models (DeepSeek, Qwen, Llama) that have been fine-tuned for specific tasks. The bill allows for their continued use without immediate changes.
The bill still needs to pass through a government commission and be reviewed by the State Duma.
Source: iXBT.com