New AI “Club” Could Give Countries Power Comparable to Nuclear, Says Russian Executive

Moscow, Nov. 24, 2025 — Russia’s top AI executive warns that countries leading in artificial intelligence (AI) development are entering a new global “nuclear-style” club — and the stakes could rival those of nuclear power. Alexander Vedyakhin, first deputy CEO of Sberbank, said in an interview that owning a national large-language model (LLM) is becoming a defining factor for global influence.

Vedyakhin argued that AI should not rely on foreign models. For critical areas such as public services, education and healthcare, he insisted Russia needs at least two or three home-grown AI systems to maintain sovereignty and protect sensitive data. Uploading confidential data into foreign AI models, he said, could pose serious security risks.

He also cautioned against what he described as hype around AI infrastructure. Despite the immense potential, excessive investment may not always pay off due to high energy costs and fast-moving technological change. According to him, Russia’s more measured spending strategy shields it from the worst of any speculative AI bubble.