Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development (Ministry of Digital) is poised to become the primary federal authority overseeing artificial intelligence regulation nationwide. A draft government decree posted on the official legal portal proposes assigning the ministry full responsibility for shaping AI policy and drafting regulatory frameworks in Russia. If approved, the ministry will not only create tailored AI rules but also coordinate and approve related regulations from other government agencies.

This change updates the ministry’s mandate, which has been in place since 2008, by adding industry-specific regulatory powers focused on AI. Beyond general coordination, the ministry would handle lawmaking, secondary regulations, and cross-agency alignment concerning artificial intelligence. For the AI sector in Russia, this marks a significant shift: until now, AI oversight was fragmented across various bodies, with a unified point of accountability existing more in policy rhetoric than in legal authority.

The move comes after years of groundwork. Russia adopted its national AI development strategy through 2030 back in 2019 and launched a legal experimental zone in Moscow last year for piloting AI services under relaxed regulations. Meanwhile, international pressure is mounting-Europe’s AI Act has already set the first comprehensive AI regulatory framework, signaling a global trend away from broad principles towards concrete legal requirements. If Russia’s decree passes swiftly, AI developers and clients in the country can expect a government department focused on enforceable AI rules rather than lofty policy statements in the months ahead.