Meet Alyosha, the Russian Robot Teaching Teens How to Use AI
A government-built office assistant has found a new job — inspiring the next generation of artificial intelligence engineers.
At a youth tech forum in Russia’s Tver region, participants studying artificial intelligence got an unusual instructor: Alyosha, a humanoid robot developed in the town of Shchyolkovo near Moscow. Originally designed as a digital secretary for local government employees, Alyosha now doubles as a teacher — and a symbol of how Russia is blending automation with education.
Normally, Alyosha handles bureaucratic tasks: reminding staff about meetings, assigning tasks, generating reports, and streamlining workflows at city hall. But during the AI training sessions, the robot guided students through practical lessons on using machine learning for image generation, text creation, and data analysis. The mix of theory and hands-on experiments showed how AI is moving from labs and offices into everyday problem-solving.
AI Teaching AI
Russia is increasingly weaving artificial intelligence into youth and education programs. At a national entrepreneurship lesson in Moscow earlier this year, high school students presented projects built with neural networks. Officials say the goal is to help young people use AI responsibly — as a tool, not a replacement.
As Rosmolodezh (the Federal Youth Agency) head Grigory Gurov noted, the country’s next generation must learn to “use AI as an assistant and understand its limits.”
Alyosha, the government’s mechanical civil servant turned teacher, embodies that mission — showing how artificial intelligence can both serve people and inspire them to build the digital future themselves.
