The new collaboration is aimed at boosting technological partnerships between the group’s member states
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has announced the launch of an alliance within the BRICS group aimed at joint development of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
RDIF chief executive, Kirill Dmitriev made the announcement on Wednesday on the sidelines of the AI Journey conference in Moscow. Over 20 companies from six of the bloc’s member-states (Russia, China, India, Brazil, Iran and the UAE) have already joined the BRICS+AI alliance.
Among the 50+ companies reportedly in favour of creating an alliance are universities, medical companies, pharmaceutical developers, financial infrastructure developers, telecommunications innovators, manufacturers of electric batteries and of semiconductors, according to Dmitriev.
The new alliance will focus on digital technologies in the public and commercial sectors, according to RDIF.
“This is particularly important given the fact that many Western countries are seeking to limit the access of BRICS to AI technologies,” Dmitriev said, underlining the “important role” of the new alliance.
The alliance could ensue that the BRICS group develops AI technologies “faster and more powerfully,” through joint developments, the RDIF chief executive stressed.
RDIF is Russia’s sovereign wealth fund created by the government in 2011 to make investments in companies of high-growth sectors of the Russian economy.
The idea of creating BRICS+AI alliance was presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the BRICS Kazan Summit in October.
Addressing the AI conference on Wednesday, Putin said that the development of the technology is crucial for Russia’s scientific and ideological sovereignty, while stressing the country’s readiness to partner internationally with innovators.
BRICS was initially comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and expanded when Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates officially became members on January 1, 2024.
Last month, Russian ally Belarus announced that it had also officially become a BRICS partner country. Such status has been also awarded to Indonesia, according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Pankin.
‘Partner country’ status provides for permanent participation in special sessions of BRICS summits and foreign ministers’ meetings, as well as other high-level events. Partners can also contribute to the group’s outcome documents.
Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda revealed in November that her nation had received an invitation from Russia to become a partner country of BRICS, saying they “responded positively to the invitation.”
The list of aspiring partners has not been officially announced, but media reports have also mentioned Algeria, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Türkiye, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam as potential candidates.
