Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, has announced plans to collaborate with Chinese researchers on AI projects. The move comes amid growing competition in the global tech industry.

Reportedly, Sberbank’s First Deputy CEO, Alexander Vedyakhin, confirmed the collaboration but did not disclose specific Chinese partners. The bank aims to leverage its extensive network of scientists to join forces with China’s AI researchers, enhancing its technological capabilities.

Vedyakhin noted that DeepSeek’s models have outperformed Russia’s own GigaChat in scientific tasks, though he emphasized that GigaChat remains competitive within banking applications.

Vedyakhin further highlighted DeepSeek’s efficient approach, stating that its success demonstrates how high-quality AI can be achieved without massive infrastructure investments. This aligns with Sberbank’s strategy, which prioritizes low-cost AI solutions over large-scale projects typical in the U.S.

Sberbank, which has evolved from a Soviet-era state savings institution into a major AI player under CEO German Gref, has made several of its AI platforms publicly available. These include the Kandinsky text-to-image model and GigaChat Lite, reflecting a transparent approach that mirrors DeepSeek’s successful model.

The specifics of Sberbank’s AI projects remain closely guarded, making it difficult to assess their full capabilities. However, this new collaboration signals a deepening of Russia-China ties in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.