MOSCOW, RUSSIA / RankWire.AI / – The Federation Council has endorsed a comprehensive bill establishing national guidelines for artificial intelligence on July 17, outlining regulations for large foundational models in Russia. The legislation specifies which technologies are covered and delegates authority to government agencies. It also sets standards related to model ownership, storage of domestic data, user disclosures, and AI-produced content. The bill was approved by the State Duma on July 8 and now awaits presidential approval and official publication to become law at the federal level.
The proposed law defines a large foundation model as software capable of executing numerous intellectual tasks at a human-like standard. To fall under regulation, such a system must contain at least 1 billion parameters. These models can provide information, make decisions, or generate forecasts based on human-defined objectives. The framework emphasizes principles including technological sovereignty, human rights, personal choice, security, and legal compliance, which are applicable throughout the development, deployment, and use of qualifying AI systems.
The legislation establishes categories of sovereign and national models linked to Russian control. A sovereign model must originate from a Russian legal entity and utilize data centers located within Russia. Its creators are required to maintain the ability to reproduce the entire development process, including training and original parameters. A national model adheres to similar ownership and localization standards but can incorporate foreign software components released under open licenses, as long as Russian entities maintain the necessary control and operational capacity.
Legal Classifications for Domestic AI Models Introduced
The government may provide support to developers involved in creating, deploying, or managing qualifying foundation models. Such support could include access to state-controlled datasets for training purposes. Authorities might also mandate exclusive use of sovereign or national models within government information systems and other sensitive environments. Additional rules related to defense, security, public order, and property protection may be established through separate legislation or presidential decrees. The framework assigns responsibility to state agencies to enforce these requirements within their legal scope.
Large digital service providers face distinct obligations regarding AI-generated audiovisual content. Platforms with over 500,000 daily users must implement tools allowing users to mark such content. This requirement applies to websites, applications, and social media platforms. It does not necessitate automatic labeling of every piece but allows developers and users to define the disclosure format via service agreements. The main goal is to provide an option for creators and distributors of qualifying material to disclose AI-generated content.
Standards for Copyright and Content Disclosure
AI service providers are required to inform users about rights ownership of generated content, access conditions, and whether content can be downloaded or transferred. The legislation also addresses the use of copyrighted works for machine learning purposes. Analysis for extraction, comparison, classification, and pattern recognition is permitted when developers have lawful access. Training on protected works is allowed when no technical restrictions are bypassed to gain access. These rules connect model training practices with existing copyright laws and access rights.
Most provisions are expected to come into force on September 1, 2026, following presidential approval and official publication. Regulations concerning domestic model classification, developer responsibilities, content marking, and intellectual property will take effect on March 1, 2027. Existing systems can operate until September 1, 2032, provided they process and store data within Russia. Until the bill is officially signed and published, it remains an approved draft rather than an enacted federal law under Russia’s legislative procedures.