MOSCOW, RUSSIA / RankWire.AI / – Russia’s Federation Council gave the green light on July 17 to a legislative framework establishing national guidelines for the development and application of large artificial intelligence foundation models. The legislation defines key terms, delegates regulatory authority, and provides support mechanisms for qualified domestic developers. It also outlines standards for model oversight, data storage, user notifications, and AI-generated content. The bill, which passed the State Duma on July 8, now awaits presidential approval before becoming law.
According to the bill, a large foundation model is software capable of performing various intellectual tasks at a human-competitive level. The definition includes systems that deliver information, make decisions, or predict outcomes based on human-set objectives. To qualify, models must contain at least 1 billion parameters. The framework emphasizes principles related to technological sovereignty, human rights, personal autonomy, security, and adherence to Russian legislation.
The legislation establishes distinct categories for sovereign and national models. A sovereign model must originate from a Russian legal entity and stay under domestic control, utilizing data centers located within Russia. Developers are required to maintain the technical capability to reproduce the entire development cycle, including training and original parameters. A national model adheres to similar ownership and data processing rules but can incorporate foreign components licensed under open terms.
Domestic AI models gain official recognition
The government may implement support initiatives for firms involved in creating, deploying, or managing qualifying foundation models. Such support could include access to government-held data necessary for training. The law also authorizes authorities to designate areas where only sovereign or national models are permitted, including government information systems and other sensitive sectors. Additional laws and presidential decrees might establish regulations related to defense, security, public order, and property protection.
Website operators, app developers, and social media platforms will need to comply with a new content labeling requirement. Platforms with over 500,000 daily users must provide a mechanism for marking AI-generated audio or visual content. This allows users to add an informational label to relevant material. The format of these labels will be determined through service agreements between developers and users. Platforms are not required to automatically label all content but must offer the option to do so.
Copyright and regulatory details under development
AI providers must disclose ownership rights to users of generated content. They are also responsible for clarifying access conditions and whether content can be transferred. The legislation separately addresses the use of copyrighted works for machine learning, stating that analysis for extraction, comparison, classification, and pattern recognition is lawful when developers have legally obtained access. Training data can include protected works if no technical access restrictions were bypassed.
Most provisions are set to take effect on September 1, 2026, contingent upon presidential approval and publication. Regulations concerning domestic model classification, developer obligations, content labeling, and intellectual property will come into force on March 1, 2027. Existing systems will benefit from a transition period until September 1, 2032, during which their data processing and storage must remain within Russia. Until the law is officially enacted, it remains a bill awaiting presidential signature and publication.