The Russian Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence is one of the most comprehensive and practically applicable ethical documents in the world. By 2025, it had been signed by over 900 organizations, including more than 50 international companies, as well as federal and regional government bodies, research institutions, and leading IT companies.
The Code continues to gain traction not only in Russia but also internationally due to its voluntary nature, emphasis on human-centricity, fairness, transparency, and safety, and its coverage of all stages of the AI lifecycle—from development and testing to deployment and use.
A distinctive feature of the Russian model is the institution of AI ethics officers. Each signatory organization appoints a staff member responsible for implementing and ensuring compliance with the principles of the Code within their organization. These specialists may be nominated to join the Commission for the Implementation of the Code, which coordinates the development of the document, sets the agenda, facilitates the discussion of best and worst practices, and supports cross-sectoral dialogue.
Six working groups operate under the Commission, each specializing in a particular area: AI ethics in healthcare, education, and justice; assessment of humanitarian impact; evaluation of Code implementation; and collection of best practices. The working groups include experts and representatives of signatory organizations who develop applied recommendations and sector-specific documents that expand on the Code.
Based on the Code, the following documents have already been developed:
· Ethical declarations — on generative AI, responsible export of technologies, and general-purpose robotics;
· Ethical guidelines — including on digital replicas, recommender systems, and autonomous transportation solutions;
· as well as a sector-specific AI Ethics Code for healthcare.
A major outcome of this work was the publication of the AI Ethics White Paper in 2024, which was created with the involvement of more than 90 experts. The paper outlines 42 key issues, practical case studies, and approaches to addressing ethical challenges faced by AI developers, regulators, and users.
On June 6, 2025, as part of the Global Digital Forum in Nizhny Novgorod, an official signing ceremony of the Code with new international partners will take place.
All documents developed within and in continuation of the Code are available on the official website: https://ethics.a-ai.ru/
The organizers invite interested organizations from around the world to join future rounds of signing and become part of an open international community shaping ethical approaches to AI development.
