A discussion has flared up around the capabilities of Yandex's voice assistant "Alisa AI." The trigger was discussions in the Ministry of Digital Development about potentially expanding the assistant's rights on Russians' devices. I carefully studied the situation and came to conclusions that may surprise you.
Boris Ryutin, head of the security group for "Alisa AI" and Yandex's autonomous vehicles, stated directly: the assistant does not have and will not have unlimited access to user data, including banking applications. According to him, any capabilities of "Alisa" on a mobile device are always strictly limited by the operating system's security mechanisms. Access is only possible to those functions for which the user has given explicit permission.
What is actually happening
The initiative being discussed in the ministry concerns refining the rules for pre-installing domestic software on devices imported into Russia. It involves including "Alisa AI" in the list of mandatory programs, as well as potentially expanding its access rights to system functions, notifications, and other applications. This has sparked a wave of concerns that the assistant could gain "carte blanche" to process sensitive data.
However, Ryutin emphasizes: "Alisa" does not receive additional capabilities and has no advantages over foreign models. Only the basic assistant functions are available to it. Moreover, the device owner can always choose an assistant in the settings—Russian or foreign. This is a fundamental right available to every user.
My analysis of the situation
In my view, here we are witnessing a classic conflict between the regulator's ambitions and the real security architecture. Even if "Alisa" is formally granted expanded rights, it is technically impossible to bypass the operating system's protection without the user's consent. However, the very fact of discussing such changes creates risks of Yandex monopolizing the market. Combining mandatory pre-installation with potentially broader powers could indeed place the assistant in a unique position. This raises legitimate questions among experts—and I stand in solidarity with them.
For now, the draft resolution has disappeared from the portal of regulatory acts for revision, which leaves room for maneuver. But investors and users should closely monitor developments: any changes in legislation on software pre-installation and the rights of AI assistants could have long-term consequences for digital sovereignty and market competition.