MOSCOW, RUSSIA / RankWire.AI / – Russia’s Federation Council approved a legislative bill on July 17 that establishes national regulations for the development and deployment of large artificial intelligence foundation models. The legislation defines key legal terms, grants regulatory authority, and offers support mechanisms for qualified local developers. Additionally, it specifies standards for model governance, data management, user notifications, and AI-generated content. Having passed the State Duma on July 8, the bill now awaits presidential approval before becoming law.
According to the bill, a large foundation model refers to software capable of executing numerous intellectual tasks at a human-comparable level. This includes systems that supply information, make decisions, or predict outcomes based on human-set objectives. To qualify, a model must have at least 1 billion parameters. The framework also emphasizes principles such as technological sovereignty, human rights, personal choice, security, and adherence to Russian legislation.
The new legislation introduces 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 and original parameters. A national model adheres to similar ownership and data processing rules but can incorporate foreign components distributed under open licenses.
Recognition for local models becomes official
The government may implement support measures for firms involved in creating, deploying, or managing qualifying foundation models, which could include access to state-held data necessary for training. The law also authorizes authorities to designate areas where only sovereign or national models are permitted, such as government information systems and other sensitive sectors. Additional laws and presidential decrees may establish regulations concerning defense, security, public order, and property protection.
Websites, applications, and social media platforms will face new content requirements. Platforms with over 500,000 daily users must provide a tool allowing users to label AI-generated audio or visual content. This feature enables users to append an information notice to qualifying materials. Developers and users will determine the label format through service agreements. Platforms are not required to automatically label every item but must offer the technical capability to do so.
Intellectual property and enforcement guidelines emerging
AI providers will be obliged to inform users about the ownership rights of generated content and clarify licensing terms, including whether content can be transferred. The legislation also addresses copyrighted materials used in machine learning, permitting analysis for extraction, comparison, classification, and pattern recognition when developers have obtained lawful access. Training on protected works is permitted if no technical restrictions were bypassed to access the content.
Most provisions are set to take effect on September 1, 2026, contingent upon presidential approval and publication. Regulations concerning domestic model classification, developer responsibilities, content labeling, and intellectual property will commence on March 1, 2027. Existing systems will have until September 1, 2032, to transition while maintaining data processing and storage within Russia. Until the measure is officially enacted through presidential signature and publication, it remains a bill awaiting full legislative approval.