Russia: Expect a National AI Roadmap by Midyear

Russia is adding details, deadlines, and dedicated funding to its draft national roadmap for the development of artificial intelligence technologies, and expects to release the final version in mid-year. The roadmap "provides for the creation of a list of projects that will help identify and remove barriers to the development of end-to-end technologies, as well as predict the market demand for artificial intelligence in the country," as state media put it in October 2018. Moreover, the new document will form a cornerstone of the larger Digital Technologies national program. Already, it appears that Moscow is increasing the amount of money it intends to devote to AI R&D. In late 2017, the government was planning to spend about $419 million (28 billion rubles) by 2020. But last October brought a new version of the 2019-21 plan for Digital Technologies which appears to call for spending nearly twice that much: $287 million for leading research centers and start-ups, $145 million to develop products, services and platforms, and $287 million for technology "at the extreme degree of readiness."