President Vladimir Putin was greeted by an AI-powered humanoid robot named “Green” during a technology exhibition in Moscow on November 19—just weeks after another Russian robot sparked global ridicule by collapsing during its debut.
The event, hosted by Sberbank, showcased Russia’s push for domestic technological innovation. In footage aired on state television, the robot introduced itself to Putin, saying: “My name is Green. I am the first Russian humanoid robot with embedded artificial intelligence… a physical embodiment of technology.”
After the introduction, Green performed a dance to what it called its favorite song, prompting Putin to describe the performance as “beautiful.”
The demonstration comes on the heels of an embarrassing moment for Russia’s AI ambitions, when another humanoid robot, “Aidol,” fell face-first on stage during its presentation, drawing widespread mockery online.
At the same exhibition, Putin also examined a new smart ATM capable of assessing a user’s health through biometric indicators. More significantly, he used the event to announce plans for a national AI task force to coordinate the development of homegrown generative AI systems.
“For Russia, it is a matter of national, technological, and value-based sovereignty,” Putin said, emphasizing that reliance on foreign AI technologies is unacceptable. He warned that large language models have the power to shape public opinion and insisted Russia must build a complete suite of indigenous AI capabilities.
Russia’s intensified drive for AI independence comes amid Western sanctions that have limited access to key hardware such as microchips.
Leading this effort is Sberbank, which has transformed from a traditional bank into a major tech player and is the developer of GigaChat, the AI system powering the Green robot.