A single regulator for artificial intelligence may appear in Russia. A draft government decree proposes assigning this role to the Ministry of Digital Development – until now, AI rules have been formed by several agencies.
The Ministry is proposed to be given 20 new functions. It will be able to prepare specialized laws, approve documents from other departments, determine benefits and grants for developers, and decide how models will gain access to state data for training.
The development of data centers, the implementation of AI on the GosTech platform, the training of specialists, and educational standards may also come under the control of the Ministry of Digital Development. Within the department, the direction has already been divided into two blocks: one will deal with technology development, the other with the implementation of ready-made solutions in the public sector.
Potentially, the regulation will affect almost 28,000 IT companies and individual entrepreneurs, not counting micro-businesses. The estimated market costs over six years range from 300 million to 3 billion rubles, but for now, this is only a framework document without specific requirements.
The new powers are planned to be introduced from September 1st. Simultaneously, the State Duma is considering a separate bill on supporting AI development – it should establish rules for large language models and could come into effect from March 2027.