MOSCOW — Russian authorities added artificial intelligence to the national informatics olympiad in March 2026. This action is part of a national initiative to expand artificial intelligence education and research.

Moscow State University established a new faculty of artificial intelligence, and Russian authorities modified national educational curricula to emphasize the field. The university also operates an artificial intelligence institute that opened in 2020. Russia aims to increase its number of artificial intelligence specialists from approximately 3,000 in 2022 to 15,500 by 2030. Katheryna Bondar, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, stated, "What really surprises me is how comprehensive their thinking and approach is."

The national effort is led by a Presidential Commission on Artificial Intelligence, which includes the Russian Minister of Defense and the Director of the Federal Security Service. Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova, the managing director of a research and development foundation and Vladimir Putin's younger daughter, heads the Moscow State University artificial intelligence institute. She participated via video link at Russia's annual Data Fusion conference in early April 2026.

Bondar commented on Tikhonova's role, stating, "Tikhonova's post at the heart of the ecosystem is likely nepotistic." Bondar also noted that "The distinction between civil and military technological development in Russia is blurred." Russia faces restricted access to artificial intelligence hardware due to international sanctions and limited domestic semiconductor production. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and approximately 25 percent of Russian software developers on GitHub changed their profiles to hide their location or indicate relocation following the invasion. Vladimir Putin stated, "For Russia, this is a question of state, technological, and, one could say, value sovereignty."

The Moscow State University artificial intelligence faculty will admit its first cohort of 72 students in September 2026. The faculty receives financial support from Oleg Deripaska, and more than half of the available spots are sponsored, waiving the standard course fee of 7,000 U.S. dollars. The faculty has access to a supercomputer that was unveiled in 2023, though access to this MSU-270 supercomputer is restricted to a limited group of individuals. A research center affiliated with Moscow State University was established in 2025. Tikhonova holds a Ph.D. in mathematics, but she has not published artificial intelligence research. She previously competed in international dancing competitions.