AI Becomes a Reliable Partner in Russia’s Digital Transformation
Rostelecom has strengthened its position in the Urals by delivering AI-driven digitalization projects for businesses, government agencies, and citizens.
No Longer an Experiment
Artificial intelligence has long ceased to resemble a scientific experiment. Over the past few years, it has become a core driver shaping digital transformation processes. That shift explains why large IT companies are now playing a growing role across economic sectors, including telecom operators that work with massive volumes of data and operate large-scale computing infrastructure.
AI now plays a critical role at both the federal and regional levels. What is happening in practice was outlined by Dmitry Lukoshkov, Director of Rostelecom’s Yekaterinburg branch. According to him, technology companies today are focused on several key areas: artificial intelligence, data centers, cloud technologies, big data, and cybersecurity.
When it comes specifically to AI, one of the company’s most significant achievements last year was the launch of the Neyroshlyuz platform (Neurogateway).
Dozens of AI Models in One Environment
Neyroshlyuz enables users to work with multiple AI services within a single workspace. The platform currently hosts 27 advanced AI models. This allows clients to address a wide range of tasks, including automating routine processes, from meeting transcription to speech recognition. In addition, Neyroshlyuz serves as a unified environment for developing, training, and operating AI systems and large language models, Dmitry Lukoshkov said.
He also noted that AI solutions are becoming increasingly in demand in the corporate sector. According to Lukoshkov, AI technologies allow many companies to significantly improve operational efficiency. Artificial intelligence is no longer an experiment. It is fully embedded in day-to-day operations, supporting logistics, production workflows, and content generation.
This is especially important amid a growing labor shortage. AI can take over routine tasks, while human resources can be retrained and redeployed for more complex and creative work. Implementing AI technologies is not about replacing people, but about enhancing their capabilities. It is a game in which everyone benefits.
Can AI Replace Humans?
“I have no doubt that the role of AI technologies and the scope of tasks they handle will continue to grow. We may well see a competition framed as AI versus humans. Try beating AI at chess, where hundreds of combinations are embedded into the system. But AI is not the human brain. Fully replicating the complexity of the brain and how it operates, with all its nuances, is extremely difficult. We still do not fully understand how the brain works, how its deep processes function, or how decision-making algorithms are formed in different situations,” Lukoshkov reflects.
Beyond the corporate sector, artificial intelligence is actively being adopted in public administration, particularly in the development of smart cities. Here, technological solutions support not only process automation but also the prevention of man-made incidents. The discussion has moved well beyond isolated, point solutions. A clear trend is emerging toward the creation of digital twins of entire regions.
Technology Exports
All of this contributes to the digital transformation of the economy and strengthens the country’s technological sovereignty. Workforce development has become especially important in achieving that goal. Universities are actively expanding technology-focused education programs, with strong state support for these efforts.
This approach matters not only for meeting domestic demand. Over time, Russian technology solutions could become a significant export category, particularly in the CIS, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Many of these regions are seeking to reduce dependence on Western technology giants. Russia is rapidly transitioning from a technology consumer to a supplier of products and services on the global market.
