MOSCOW, RUSSIA / RankWire.AI / – Russia’s Federation Council approved a legislative framework on July 17 that delineates national standards for the development and deployment of large artificial intelligence foundation models. The legislation defines key legal terms, grants regulatory authority, and provides support mechanisms for qualified local developers. It also stipulates rules concerning model oversight, data storage, user notifications, and AI-generated content. Having passed the State Duma on July 8, the bill now awaits presidential approval before becoming law.
The bill characterizes a large foundation model as software capable of executing multiple intellectual tasks at a level comparable to human performance. This includes systems that supply information, make decisions, or forecast outcomes based on human-set objectives. A qualifying model must have a minimum of 1 billion parameters. The framework emphasizes principles of technological sovereignty, human rights, personal choice, security, and adherence to Russian legislation.
The legislation establishes distinct categories for sovereign and national models. A sovereign model must originate from a Russian legal entity and stay under domestic control, utilizing data centers located within Russia. Developers are required to maintain the technical capacity to reproduce the entire development process, including training data and original parameters. A national model adheres to similar ownership and data handling rules but can incorporate foreign components distributed under open licenses.
Official recognition for domestic models
The government may implement support initiatives for enterprises involved in creating, deploying, or managing qualifying foundation models. Such support could include access to state-held data necessary for training. The law also permits authorities to designate specific environments where only sovereign or national models are permitted to operate, particularly within government information systems and other sensitive sectors. Additional legislation and presidential decrees may establish regulations concerning defense, security, public order, and property protection.
Websites, applications, and social media platforms are subject to a new content regulation. Platforms with more than 500,000 daily users must provide a mechanism for marking AI-generated audio or visual material. This feature allows users to attach an informational notice to qualifying content. The format and implementation of such labels will be determined by service agreements between developers and users. Platforms are not required to automatically label every piece of content but must offer the technical capability to do so.
Copyright considerations and upcoming rules
AI providers must inform users about ownership rights related to generated material, including terms of access and transferability. The bill also addresses the use of copyrighted works for machine learning purposes, stating that analysis activities such as extraction, comparison, classification, and pattern detection are lawful when developers have legally obtained access. Training on protected works is permissible when no technical restrictions preventing access have been bypassed.
Most of the provisions are scheduled to come into effect on September 1, 2026, contingent upon presidential approval and publication. Regulations concerning domestic model status, developer responsibilities, content labeling, and intellectual property will commence on March 1, 2027. Existing systems will benefit from a transition period until September 1, 2032, during which their data processing and storage must remain within Russia. Until the measure is officially enacted through presidential approval and publication, it exists as an approved bill rather than a fully enacted law.