February 13, 2023

AI Will Watch You


AI Will Watch You
Server room of BalticServers
BalticServers, Wikimedia Commons

Russian authorities plan to use artificial intelligence to search for "prohibited information" and "points of information tension" on the Russian-language internet (aka RuNet).

Journalists at Vazhnye Istoriyi discovered the plans courtesy of Belorussian hackers's attack on the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media and a subsequent leak of over two million internal documents from the service.

According to Vazhnye Istoriyi, the Russian authorities are planning an operation code-named "Vepr" (Wild Boar), which will use AI technology to analyze publications on the Russian-language internet, rooting out negative information about the Russian president, top officials of state and governmental entities, and content that can "discredit traditional values," "destabilize the socio-political situation," "manipulate public opinion," or "polarize society."

Journalists discovered a list of over a hundred topics that the system may track, including "LGBT propaganda," critics of the environmental situation in Russia, and mentions of independent media like The Project, Radio Liberty, or The Insider. According to Mediazona, the list of topics also includes drug addiction and "offensive art actions."

The Vepr program is to launch by the end of 2024, but the war in Ukraine may be accelerating plans: Vazhnyye Istorii found a letter from a Russian official who said it is difficult to predict the exact deadlines, due to sanctions and a lack of personnel. 

In 2022, hundreds of thousands of IT specialists left Russia. And, due to the difficult economic situation and increasing international isolation, ​​Russian authorities have reduced AI development funding.

You Might Also Like

Game Over
  • January 30, 2023

Game Over

The Russian government has asked the prosecutor's office to create a list of banned video games.
Meduza Declared Undesirable
  • January 27, 2023

Meduza Declared Undesirable

On January 26, Russia’s Prosecutor General declared the popular publication Meduza an “undesirable” organization.
Dangerous Dreams
  • December 23, 2022

Dangerous Dreams

Russians are being fined for their dreams, "likes," and "silent support."
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955