The Digital Development Department, with the help of market participants, is finalizing a document that details the mechanism for use with Yandex’s artificial intelligence assistant “Alice AI” as a pre-installed application on smartphones and other devices. Market participants suggested further discussion of this measure.
Image source: yandex.ru/company
“Alice AI” can gain additional functionality and become an uninstallable app, just like the RuStore store. Journalists studied a draft government decree that would amend the mechanism for pre-installation of applications on imported devices from Russia”Kommersant” This document specifically introduces “Computer pre-installed “system assistant” program rules, default use” – This is a new set of specifications; previously, such rules only applied to Russian search engines. The term “voice assistant” is being replaced by the following concepts “Programs run based on artificial intelligence technology (hereinafter referred to as system assistant)”. Requires pre-installation “A program containing an artificial intelligence model that has been given the status of a national grand basic model or a sovereign grand basic model”.
From 2021, a law will be introduced to compulsory pre-installation of domestic programs; according to the 2027 standards, their list includes Yandex Browser, Mail.ru Mail, Max Messenger and other applications. Currently, the items that cannot be deleted under this law are “Programs for finding and purchasing shows” — App Store; this will also impact voice assistants as part of the new initiative. The latter must obtain all necessary permissions: automatic (background) updates, background services for sending push notifications, voice activation and other features.
Yandex said that the number of Alice AI users increased fivefold year-on-year in September; in terms of supervision, the company supports the opinions of the Digital Development Department and industry representatives: “All parties strive to provide equal conditions for Russian and foreign services. We are regularly involved in the localization of new models of mobile devices of foreign brands.”. The department noted that work on the document continues and that use of System Assistant by device owners should be voluntary: “Measures should ensure equal competitive conditions for domestic and foreign solutions”.
However, the RATEK association recommended that the project be suspended until the regulatory implications are fully assessed and public debate takes place. The Ministry of Digital Development seeks to regulate equipment and operating systems developed and produced outside Russia. “It is necessary to analyze in detail the operation of foreign operating systems and the mechanisms for providing system access.”. The document does not specify a time for production adaptation, so it is recommended that the new standard be delayed by five months from taking effect. On the one hand, the AI assistant must have end-to-end access to the operating system; on the other hand, the user can deny such access; therefore, the operating system manufacturer automatically becomes an infringer. Finally, background updates often seem like an impossible requirement for closed, certified operating systems because it violates the security architecture and poses a leak threat.
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