Artificial Intelligence as a Cost-Cutting Tool for Russian Businesses
80% of Russian companies see AI as a strategic asset to reduce costs, enhance customer service, and even increase employee salaries
Money Talks
Artificial Intelligence (AI) — algorithms that learn from vast datasets much like children learn from adults — is no longer just a futuristic concept. Since the 1950s, AI has evolved to play a tangible role in digitization and daily convenience. In Russia, businesses are leveraging AI to analyze data, identify risks, and automate creative solutions. It's no longer hype; it's operational reality.
According to a recent study by Komanda.ai titled 'AI for Small and Medium Business: How Companies in Russia Are Becoming More Efficient,' 80% of respondents cited cost-cutting as their primary motive for AI adoption. Another 68% believed it would improve customer service speed and quality. Companies are looking to AI not just for efficiency, but to stay competitive and boost revenue.
“Russian companies are motivated by tangible economic gains — cost reductions, revenue growth, improved services, and alignment with market expectations,” the researchers noted.
Comfort and Profit
AI's reach spans every domain — from healthcare to smart cities. In Russia’s Bolshoe Putilkovo residential complex, an AI system monitors environmental variables like temperature, CO₂ levels, humidity, and energy use to maintain indoor comfort.
“Elevated CO₂ concentrations of 0.06–0.08% over a few hours can lead to reduced focus and increased fatigue in schoolchildren,” says Mikhail Nikitin, director of social infrastructure design at Samolet Group. The AI ensures a healthy microclimate, directly impacting well-being and academic performance.
Automating the Routine
AI is poised to optimize many aspects of urban life. Roughly 40 Russian companies are piloting AI-driven street surveillance systems. In the federal territory of Sirius, a smart video-monitoring solution by VideoFor Yug detects violations and alerts participants via loudspeaker in real time.
As AI takes over routine tasks, human workers are freed for creative problem-solving. Forecasts suggest AI adoption will significantly boost labor productivity and lead to fairer compensation models based on performance and workload.
Scaling Up
AI adoption in Russia is growing rapidly, with domestic developers seeing 20–30% annual growth. The technology’s export potential spans BRICS, the CIS, and markets in the Middle East and Africa. Domestically, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are ripe for AI-driven transformation, particularly in customer service and marketing.
While large enterprises currently lead in implementation, SMEs are catching up. AI can streamline accounting, HR, logistics, supply chains, and document management. Marketing is a particularly fertile area for AI, with Russia’s tools showing strong global potential.
According to RBC, widespread adoption of large language models like GigaChat and GenAI could add trillions of rubles to the Russian economy by 2028. Already, AI reduces operational expenses by 30–40%.
“Every company handles payroll, pricing, scheduling, reporting, and client requests — often manually,” says Vlad Karmakov, founder and CEO of Siberian.pro. “We implemented AI-driven payroll processing, cutting our operational costs by 30%.”
