AI Without Panic: Russia’s Bank Center-Invest Invests in AI Education
Explaining complex algorithms in plain language. A new textbook shows how artificial intelligence is reshaping work and everyday life. Written in accessible terms, it is designed for both beginners and experienced users.
A Rare Emphasis
Russia’s Bank Center-Invest has released a textbook on artificial intelligence aimed not at a narrow circle of specialists, but at a broad audience. Its core idea is to explain what AI is today, how it works, and where it is used – without heavy terminology or professional jargon.
“We see enormous demand for a practical understanding of artificial intelligence. As a bank that actively uses AI in its own operations, we decided to systematize our experience and perspective and share that knowledge,” says Evgeny Alyokhin, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board at Russia’s Bank Center-Invest.
The material is designed both for those just beginning to explore the topic and for users already working with digital tools. Special attention is paid to prompting and to issues of responsible technology use – a rare focus for introductory materials, but one that immediately sets a framework for conscious and informed application of AI at work and in everyday life.
Translating Technology
Interest in the textbook is closely linked to the expanding practical use of AI. Entrepreneurs, students, and professionals increasingly encounter algorithms in their workflows, yet often lack a clear understanding of how they function. The textbook responds to this demand by acting as a kind of “translator” between technology and the user.
For the bank, this initiative is a way to organize accumulated knowledge and offer a clear, usable guide to those who want to navigate the digital environment without diving into programming. Although the textbook itself is not a technological product, it becomes part of a broader skills-building infrastructure.
It can be used in corporate training, universities, accelerators, and partner programs. The initiative’s impact is reinforced through cooperation with educational institutions such as Rostov State Medical University, Rostov State University of Economics, and Southern Federal University. As a result, a connected ecosystem is forming in which the textbook can serve as a starting point for deeper engagement with AI in professional contexts.
Ideas That Can Change the World
In recent years, a number of AI-related projects have emerged around the bank. Together with Rostov State University of Economics, Center-Invest helped open an Artificial Intelligence Center focused on student education. Its partnership with Rostov State Medical University concentrates on applying AI in medicine and training specialized professionals.
Meanwhile, Don State Technical University hosts an educational and project-based laboratory for game development and intelligent technologies, supported by the bank. As Alyokhin notes, opening a new educational and project center gives young specialists a chance to acquire new knowledge and prove themselves.
These initiatives have developed against a backdrop of growing interest in AI across the banking sector, where algorithms are widely used for data analysis, customer service, and risk management. At the same time, public engagement with the topic has expanded through practical case studies and events aimed at executives and decision-makers.
A Response to Digital Uncertainty
The textbook is already available online and can be used without restrictions. Center-Invest’s initiative clearly shows how a private bank can move beyond the traditional role of a technology user. In this case, it acts as a knowledge mediator, bringing together fragmented ideas about AI into a coherent and accessible picture for a wide audience.
Importantly, the content works in two directions at once. On the one hand, it raises overall digital literacy by explaining how AI tools function and where their limits lie. On the other, it emphasizes responsible use of technology, fostering a culture of informed interaction with algorithms rather than unquestioning trust.
In the coming years, more commercial organizations are likely to join educational AI initiatives, embedding them into their own training frameworks for employees, partners, and clients. Textbooks and modular courses may eventually become a standard element of corporate education and later find their place in more formal academic programs. In this sense, Center-Invest’s experience sets a clear benchmark: make knowledge a practical tool rather than abstract theory, and explain complex ideas in clear, human language.
