If nothing is done, in a few decades Russia may find itself dependent on other people’s technologies. That is why the issue of digital sovereignty is now coming to the forefront — and, according to the authorities, Russia has already covered half of this path. This was stated by Anton Gorelkin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, at a plenary session of the 3rd Flagship Cross-Industry Conference "AKPO-Konf".
According to the parliamentarian, digital sovereignty is not an abstract idea but a necessity. It is about ensuring that the country can develop technologies independently and not depend on external solutions in the future. For this, as Gorelkin emphasized, digital hygiene, digital literacy, and a general understanding of the processes taking place are important.
At present, according to the deputy chairman of the Duma committee, Russia is "approximately halfway" toward this goal.
A number of areas have already seen noticeable progress. For example, in the marketplace and online cinema segments, the replacement of foreign services has, according to him, been successful.
However, there are still areas where dependence remains. Despite the availability of domestic operating systems, a significant share of users continues to work on Windows and macOS — and, as Gorelkin noted, will continue to do so.
In the field of artificial intelligence, Russia has managed to integrate itself into global competition. But in microelectronics and robotics, the situation remains "sad."
Yes, it is impossible to write a law on a national gaming console — and then tomorrow this gaming console suddenly appears. It is impossible to write a law on a Russian tablet and on a Russian phone.
Nevertheless, compared with 2015, the pace and quality of the movement toward digital sovereignty have increased noticeably.