Putin appoints FSB chief, defense minister, and his ex-bodyguard to newly created AI commission

Vladimir Putin has established a presidential commission on the development of AI technology, according to an executive order published online on Thursday. 

The commission’s co-chairs are Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko and Putin’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Maxim Oreshkin. Its other members include:

• Defense Minister Andrei Belousov,
• FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov,
• Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov,
• Finance Minister Anton Siluanov,
• Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev,
• Presidential aide Alexey Dyumin (Putin’s former bodyguard)
• Sberbank CEO German Gref,
• Former Yandex executive Tigran Khudaverdyan.

The commission is tasked with coordinating the work of federal agencies, the Central Bank, regional government bodies, and other organizations involved in the development and implementation of AI technologies. Its mandate also includes analyzing “key risks and threats” arising from artificial intelligence, and coordinating measures to “neutralize” them. 

The decree further orders Russia’s regional leaders to establish similar interdepartmental AI commissions by June 1, 2026.