MOSCOW, May 20 – Russia’s biggest bank is looking to Chinese manufacturers for computer processors to run its artificial intelligence platform, according to statements made during President Vladimir Putin’s recent trip to China, as ongoing Western sanctions prevent access to cutting-edge technology from abroad.
“We are hoping that we will be able to use Chinese microchips for GigaChat,” Chief Executive German Gref told state broadcaster Channel One.
The AI system GigaChat was created by Sberbank, the nation’s top financial institution, which has been leading Russia’s advancement into artificial intelligence technology.
The financial institution’s attempts to purchase sophisticated processors from China are meeting intense competition, as China’s largest internet companies, including ByteDance, Tencent, and Alibaba, are also scrambling to secure orders for Huawei’s Ascend 950 AI processors.
The Ascend 950, representing China’s most sophisticated chip technology, still falls behind U.S.-based Nvidia’s H200 model in capabilities. Gref did not specify which particular processors Sberbank was attempting to purchase.
Russia lags behind the leading AI nations, the United States and China, in technological development and relies extensively on foreign electronics for critical sectors, including defense applications. China serves as its primary source for such technological hardware.
