Shamsail Saraliev: “A Strong Russia Is a Country That Writes Its Own Code for the Future”
Moscow will become a center for discussions on digital sovereignty from Oct. 8 to 10, when the 2nd Global Digital Forum will take place.
Participants from different countries will discuss approaches to digital transformation and technological sovereignty, infrastructure development, ways to turn international cooperation in IT into concrete projects, exports of digital solutions, and long-term partnerships.
Ahead of the forum, Shamsail Saraliev, a State Duma deputy representing the Chechen Republic, spoke to the IT Russia about why digital sovereignty is a matter of national security, the risks of dependence on foreign digital platforms, and how artificial intelligence should be regulated.
Every day, I see our geopolitical opponents trying to use digital leverage to pressure Russia. That is why digital sovereignty is a matter of national security and the survival of the state in the 21st century.
– The West is trying to impose its rules of the game, its standards and its ethics on the world. But what kind of ethics is that? We see transnational digital giants across the ocean disconnecting entire countries from payment systems, databases and critical infrastructure at the push of a button. This is no longer a free market, but outright digital neocolonialism. We cannot and will not integrate into foreign ecosystems as junior partners who can be unplugged at any moment.
Building sovereign digital infrastructure must be our absolute priority. We simply must have our own servers, operating systems and software. Video surveillance systems, electronic document management and databases – all of these should run on domestic solutions without hidden vulnerabilities or backdoors.
As for artificial intelligence, we are on the threshold of tectonic shifts. As the president of Russia has said, AI represents a huge leap forward for the economy, medicine and security. But without strict regulation, AI can become a Pandora’s box. We need an AI ethics code based on international law, rather than corporate rules of the game. We should integrate the best solutions from around the world into our national ecosystems intelligently, adapting them to our needs and values.
The legislator’s task is to create a legal framework that protects citizens from abuse and safeguards personal data without stifling the domestic IT industry. Developers need the green light and government support. A strong Russia is a country that writes its own code for the future.
