ChatGPT vs GigaChat

Sber, Russia's leading technology company, has just announced the launch of their new artificial intelligence (AI) application, which will compete with the American-produced ChatGPT. In a statement on their website, Sber stated that their version of chatbots, called GigaChat, not only allows users to carry out conversations, compose messages, and answer factual questions, but also write code and create images from descriptions.

According to German Gref, the chief executive of Sber, GigaChat is a technological breakthrough for Russia that will make waves in the global market. This move comes at a time when Russia is strengthening its domestic technology sector, in response to Western sanctions imposed after President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. In addition, the Russian government has enacted stricter regulations on the sector, amid increasing political repression.

The launch of GigaChat is also seen as the latest twist in the ongoing technology competition between Russia and the US, as ChatGPT's success is spiraling out of control. This announcement comes as the Kremlin calls for websites and social media platforms to be blocked, in an effort to censor voices criticizing the Ukraine invasion.