On April 29, Maria Zakharova, an official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated at the XXX Russian Internet Forum (RIF) that Russia’s development of artificial intelligence technologies is strengthening its security and sovereignty, while Western nations seek to deploy AI for neocolonial subjugation of other states.
Zakharova emphasized that certain countries view AI as a mechanism for “neocolonial enslavement” and subordination under new technological frameworks. She noted that although the colonial era is obsolete and cannot be revived, these nations aim to exert such control.
“Their perspective is that artificial intelligence serves as a tool for neocolonial subordination of other countries and peoples to their own will,” Zakharova explained in her remarks. “For others, our country falls into this category—AI is the means to guarantee its sovereignty, strengthen it, and enhance security.”
Separately, on April 29, Elon Musk compared potential AI development risks to humanity’s extinction as depicted in Terminator, stating that in 2015 he discussed with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman measures to protect AI from misuse.
Additionally, Palantir, a company developing AI solutions for the U.S. military, published a manifesto on April 23 proposing that neural networks could function as a new global deterrence mechanism, potentially replacing nuclear weapons.
On April 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that the future state’s existence hinges on adapting to rapid technological advancements, noting that fundamental language models with high computational capabilities are becoming increasingly complex.
