A law on state support and oversight of the development of large AI models has taken effect in Russia
A law on large foundation models has been in effect in Russia since 1 September 2026. It ties state support to Russian ownership, data localization, and an assessment of compliance with the law and "traditional values." The assessment procedure is still awaiting an implementing regulation.
In Russia, a law regulating state support for the development of large foundation models entered into force on 1 September 2026. It was signed on 26 July. The original, broader proposal for AI regulation was replaced by a narrower regulation focused on supporting and overseeing developers of these models.
The law defines the affected models by a threshold of at least one billion parameters and the ability to serve as a basis for software development and a wide range of tasks. It also includes models made available to users in Russia, meaning foreign developers serving the Russian market may fall within its scope.
For the "sovereign" and "national" model statuses, it sets largely identical conditions: the developer must be a Russian legal entity, and responses must be generated and stored in data centers located on Russian territory with Russian ownership. The model is to undergo an assessment of compliance with Russian law and "traditional Russian spiritual and moral values." The assessment procedure, the competent authorities, and the rules for granting the statuses are yet to be determined by a government regulation. For details, see the source article.
Why it matters
Developers seeking state support must take the legal conditions into account when deciding on ownership and infrastructure. Foreign providers need to verify whether their offering to Russian users falls within the scope of the law. The as-yet unestablished assessment procedure leaves uncertainty regarding the specific requirements.
Relevant practical impact
What this means
For a business
For companies developing the affected models, the law adds conditions for obtaining state support concerning legal structure, infrastructure location, and assessment of the model's compliance. The scope may also affect foreign providers operating in the Russian market.
Risks and complianceCheck the original
Event sources
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