The study by the MGIMO Center for Artificial Intelligence is dedicated to assessing the ethical aspects of AI in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Moscow and the Moscow Region. The focus is on companies that are actively implementing technologies but are not very involved in the ethical agenda. The methodology is based on the author's Index for Assessing Ethical Aspects of AI, supplemented by a survey of 80 IT companies doing business in Moscow and the Moscow Region. Companies were identified through email newsletters, participation in industry events, and personal contacts of research participants. At key stages of the study, focus groups were held with representatives of business, regulators, and academia (Sberbank, MIPT, Yandex.Cloud), which ensures the validity of the toolkit.
The results showed that 82.5% of SMEs do not include ethical costs in their budgets, and 49% are not familiar with the Russian AI Code of Ethics. The key barriers are a lack of resources and regulatory incentives. Despite the active use of AI (60% of companies implemented 1–3 projects per year), ethics remains a fairly marginal topic, which contrasts with trends in the EU and the US. The results of the study confirm the need to develop and implement the following measures tailored to SMEs: grant support, educational programs, and incentives for businesses to participate in the development of standards, which is critical for reducing risks and strengthening positions in the global market.