Description
This paper analyzes how Russia employs artificial intelligence (AI) as an illiberal technology to consolidate political control and sustain regime legitimacy. Building on Laruelle’s (2022) concept of illiberalism as a system that resists liberal universalism while adapting modern tools for state power, the study identifies three key domains of domestic AI use. First, AI underpins information warfare, enabling automated disinformation, propaganda, and deepfake production that amplify state narratives and erode trust in independent media. Second, surveillance and censorship technologies—such as facial recognition and algorithmic monitoring—extend state oversight into digital and physical spaces, reinforcing the regime’s control over potential challenges. Third, the government employs AI to demonstrate control over the digital infrastructure, which in turn project stability and legitimacy. Extending on the work of Mahon and Walker (2025), the paper concludes that the regime is using AI to extend its already widespread use of technology for illiberal purposes to cement its power.
