Russia Taps AI to Transform Regional Governance and Urban Services

In Perm Krai, artificial intelligence is being integrated across government systems—from education to environmental protection. It’s part of a broader effort to digitize public services while ensuring data sovereignty.

Regional governments in Russia are stepping up their use of AI, with Perm Krai emerging as a testbed for smart governance. Local officials are investing around 30 million rubles annually in digital technologies, building out an AI-powered data infrastructure designed to support real-time decision-making.

One of the cornerstones of this initiative is the GIS Big Data Platform of Perm Krai, a centralized analytics system that pulls data from multiple sources. It has tripled the speed of report generation and halved the cost of analytics, allowing officials to respond faster to changing conditions.

In the education sector, AI is helping automate school scheduling by accounting for teacher workloads and other variables—freeing up administrators’ time.

Environmental monitoring is also going high-tech. The 'Smart Forest' platform uses satellite imagery and timber transport data to detect illegal logging. Meanwhile, facial recognition and object detection systems are being piloted in law enforcement, alongside new tools for monitoring construction sites.

All AI systems undergo rigorous testing and must comply with national data protection standards. They run exclusively on Russian-developed software and certified security tools. This comprehensive digital strategy is helping Russian regions streamline administration and lay the groundwork for future tech development.