Alice AI, the artificial intelligence assistant developed by Yandex, can gain extended permissions on mobile devices sold in Russia, including access to other applications. The Ministry of Digital Development said this would provide Russian technology with equal rights as foreign technology; but experts did not rule out the possibility of one player monopolizing the market.
Image source: yandex.ru/company
At the end of August, the Ministry of Digital Development discussed finalizing the mechanism for pre-installing Russian apps on devices sold in the country – the ministry may expand the requirement for Yandex Browser and Alice AI, reports said “Kommersant“Refer to own sources. In the case of Alice AI, not only may there be a requirement to pre-install the AI assistant client, but it may also be granted extended permissions on the device. The service will have access to banking and other applications that handle critical data, and this information will be stored in Yandex facilities. The move will not only affect smartphones, but also tablets and smart speakers.
At the beginning of August, the Ministry of Digital Development submitted a draft resolution for public discussion, which included new pre-installation rules and required users to be able to select system assistants on first boot; the document was subsequently removed from the legal conduct portal and is currently being finalized. The draft states that AI assistants should have access to system functions, other applications, notifications, authorization data and hardware. The Department believes that this will help ensure “Transparent access rules to devices and operating systems eliminate the advantages of manufacturer-built solutions”. The initiative is currently being discussed with industry; it is important to stress that this is not about the preferences of any particular assistant; “Equal conditions for the integration and development of domestic AI technology on equipment”.
Authorities talk about pre-installation “Systematic artificial intelligence assistant created based on sovereignty or national foundation artificial intelligence model” — The law “Supporting the Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Russian Federation” adopted in July discusses such models. However, the immediate purpose of the move is to limit the privileges of foreign artificial intelligence assistants and models on devices running in Russia. Apple circumvented Russian legislation’s requirement to pre-install Russian apps by giving customers the opportunity to install service packs themselves; the company’s relationship with Russian authorities soured when it removed the Max Messenger and VK Holding apps from the App Store. But these requirements fully apply to officially imported smartphones running Android.
Experts interviewed by Kommersant said that access to Android system functions by Russian artificial intelligence assistants can only be achieved during the delivery phase, but if Russian services are imposed on Russian users, people’s attitude towards them may become negative. The domestic market could be monopolized by one company, and equipment manufacturers could resist new demands from Russian authorities.
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