AI Effect: Sber Turns Technology Into Revenue
Russia’s largest bank expects to generate 500 billion rubles (about $5.5 billion) from artificial intelligence this year, a figure disclosed by deputy chairman Taras Skvortsov.
Direct profit impact comes not only from algorithms handling credit scoring, antifraud, and risk management. Sberbank is also building its own platforms, including GigaChat and Kandinsky, and expects generative AI models alone to deliver 100 billion rubles (about $1.1 billion), roughly double the 2025 level.
Today, about 60% of mortgage approvals at Sber rely on AI. AI agents assess not just a borrower’s debt load, but also construction readiness and the risk of project delays. They also help shape commercial offers tailored to each development. Meanwhile, generative AI is emerging as the next growth driver. The rollout of GigaChat has already generated nearly 30 billion rubles (about $330 million), and that figure is expected to grow.
Other financial institutions are also deploying AI across customer service, complaint handling, analytics, and risk management. That allows them to speed up customer interactions and improve credit decisions, while delivering more accurate personalized offers and strengthening antifraud systems. The gains benefit both banks and their customers.
A Strategic Technology Shift
AI integration into financial workflows is set to deepen. Sber already applies these tools across nearly all processes, from scoring and cybersecurity to document management and software development. Expanding in-house solutions reduces reliance on external technologies and helps stabilize the country’s financial system.
“In 2030, technologies like these and products built on them should be used across all sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, energy, public administration, and education,” said Vladimir Putin in April. He instructed the government to develop a national AI adoption plan.
From Chatbots to Production AI
AI in the financial sector is evolving rapidly. In 2021–2022, banks focused on pilots in chatbots, scoring, and antifraud. By 2023–2024, the shift toward production deployment and monetization was already underway. In 2025, generative AI became a central driver, with Sber estimating its impact at 50 billion rubles (about $550 million). The bank is now integrating GigaChat into internal workflows to boost productivity.
A survey by the Bank of Russia covering 252 financial institutions confirms this trend. AI is already in use across customer interaction, analytics, forecasting, and risk management.
Scaling the AI Effect
A model of enterprise AI is taking shape in Russia, where the technology is generating hundreds of billions of rubles in revenue. That is driving demand across the domestic IT sector for high-performance solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes. Generative AI is set to play a central role. It will not only support predictive analytics, but also accelerate software development. The impact is expected to extend beyond banking into retail, industry, transport, public services, and healthcare. By 2030, AI-based solutions are projected to contribute at least 11 trillion rubles (about $120 billion) to Russia’s GDP.
