Russia proposes sweeping powers to ban ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini under new AI regulations

Russia AI Regulations Target Major Foreign AI Tools

Russia is moving to assert control over artificial intelligence within its borders through new regulatory proposals that could fundamentally reshape how foreign AI tools operate in the country. The Ministry for Digital Development has published rules granting Moscow sweeping powers to ban or restrict foreign AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini if they fail to comply with strict data localization requirements1

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. These regulations represent an extension of Russia's long-standing push for a sovereign internet—one insulated from foreign influence and aligned with what officials describe as "traditional Russian spiritual and moral values." The Ministry for Digital Development stated the new rules aim to "help protect citizens from covert manipulation and discriminatory algorithms"2

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Cross-Border AI Technologies Face Strict Data Requirements

The proposed Russia AI regulations specifically target cross-border AI technologies, which technology lawyer Kirill Dyakov defines as "all foreign AI models, including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, where the use of such models results in user data, queries and dialogues being transmitted to the developers of these models outside Russia"3

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. The regulations stipulate that AI models used by more than 500,000 people per day must store Russian user data on Russian territory for three years to remain compliant. This requirement poses a significant challenge for Western tech companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, which developed the three AI models explicitly mentioned in the proposals. Historically, these companies have refused similar data localization demands from Russia.

Tightening State Control Over the Internet and Digital Sovereignty

The initiative arrives amid broader efforts by Moscow to establish tightening state control over the internet and assert digital sovereignty. The regulations are expected to enter into force next year after further review and government approval2

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. According to the published rules, "the operation of cross-border artificial intelligence technologies may be prohibited or restricted in cases specified by the legislation of the Russian Federation". This broad language grants Russian authorities considerable discretion in determining which foreign AI tools can operate within the country. The state control framework creates an environment where compliance becomes not just a technical matter of data privacy, but a political calculation for international AI providers.

Homegrown AI Solutions Stand to Benefit

The new regulatory framework appears designed to promote domestic AI development and favor homegrown AI solutions. State lender Sberbank and technology group Yandex, both developing their own AI capabilities, stand to gain from restrictions on foreign competitors3

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. Interestingly, the regulations may leave room for certain foreign but open AI tools. Dyakov noted that models like China's Qwen or DeepSeek could potentially be adapted and deployed in closed environments on the proprietary infrastructure of Russian government organizations and companies, since any data processed would remain within that infrastructure2

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. This distinction suggests Russia may differentiate between commercial AI services that transmit data abroad and open-source models that can be locally deployed. For global AI providers, the choice becomes stark: either establish local data infrastructure to protect citizens from manipulation as Russia frames it, or exit the Russian market entirely. Given Western tech companies' historical reluctance to comply with Russian data demands, the latter outcome appears more likely, potentially fragmenting the global AI landscape along geopolitical lines.