A serious scandal has erupted around the voice assistant "Alisa AI" from Yandex. Rumors circulated actively online that the neural network would allegedly gain unprecedented access to Russians' personal data, including banking apps and financial information. However, the company was quick to refute these speculations, stating that the assistant's capabilities have always been and remain strictly limited.
Boris Ryutin, head of the security group for "Alisa AI" and Yandex's autonomous transport, emphasized that data access is possible only within the permissions granted by the user themselves and the security mechanisms of the operating system. According to him, the assistant has no "carte blanche" to read banking utilities or other sensitive data, nor is any expected. The device owner can always choose an assistant—domestic or foreign—in the settings, which is a fundamental right of every user.
The essence of the Ministry of Digital Development's initiative
The cause for concern was an initiative discussed by the Ministry of Digital Development to expand the rights of AI assistants on smartphones, tablets, and smart speakers. It involves including "Alisa" in the list of pre-installed software and potentially granting it expanded functions comparable to system-level ones. However, as my sources in the industry note, the wording of the draft resolution, which had already appeared on the regulatory acts portal and was then withdrawn for revision, raises serious questions.
The key risk I see is the potential monopolization of the market. If "Alisa" gains advantages over other apps, including access to notifications and authorization, this would create unequal conditions for competitors. Yandex itself insists that it receives no additional privileges, and all powers will be limited by user consent.
Context and concerns
It is worth recalling that the law on pre-installing Russian software has been in effect since spring 2021, and the list of mandatory programs is regularly expanded. In July 2026, it included Yandex Browser, Yandex Maps, 2GIS, and others. Now, there is discussion that "Alisa" could become a "system assistant" based on sovereign models, which, in the opinion of several experts, is aimed at restricting foreign AI solutions.
From my point of view, access to banking apps for AI in itself is a minefield. A data leak or an error in the algorithm could lead to catastrophic consequences for users' financial security. Therefore, Yandex's position denying the expansion of rights looks more like an attempt to defuse tension than a real reflection of future regulatory changes. The question remains open: who and how will control this access if it does eventually appear?