The Russian government has identified applicants for grants of up to 1 billion rubles to create six artificial intelligence (AI) research centers in the country, TASS reported citing the office of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

"Applications for grants of up to 1 billion rubles were selected today as part of the federal Artificial Intelligence project to create six AI research centers in the country by 2024. The total amount of funds including extrabudgetary funding will amount to 7 billion rubles," the office said.

It is explained that the established centers "will become reference points for the development of AI technology," which "should not only help other participants to pull up and pump themselves up in the conditions of the new competition, but also ensure Russia a leadership position in the world in the development of AI technology."

A total of 36 organizations took part in the selection, of which nine made the shortlist. The working group selected the best six projects from the nine organizations: the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Gubkin Institute for System Programming, the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas and the Moscow Institute of Oil and Gas. V.P. Ivannikov Institute of System Programming, Innopolis University, ITMO and the Higher School of Economics.

Popular areas of AI development that received applications were cross-industry AI technologies, AI for various sectors of economy, optimization of managerial decisions, medicine and industry.

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Karina Kamalova