Sergey Kiryushin, special representative for the digital transformation, told Moscow daily RBK that the ministry would be partnering with the Ivannikov Institute for System Programming to develop the concept next year. "Based on the results of the conceptual design, we will determine the financing of the program, but for now, this issue is under discussion," Kiryushin said. The official declined to disclose what kind of data the machine would be used to analyze, simply noting that there are many various tasks in foreign policy that such artificial intelligence could help with. This latest development is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' wide-ranging digital transformation program. From 2021-2023, the department plans to spend 2.3 billion rubles ($31 million) to improve its information systems and become independent of foreign software.