In recent days, the internet has been actively discussing the possibility of granting the voice assistant "Alice AI" from Yandex expanded powers on devices of Russian users. Information about upcoming changes in legislation sparked a strong reaction, and now the company has officially issued clarifications to dispel concerns.
Boris Ryutin, head of the security group for "Alice AI" and Yandex's self-driving transport, stated that the assistant does not receive and will not receive unlimited access to user data, including banking applications. According to him, Alice's capabilities on mobile devices will always be strictly limited by the operating system's security mechanisms. Access is possible exclusively to those functions and data for which the user has given explicit and informed consent.
This statement was a response to publications reporting that the Ministry of Digital Development is working on an initiative under which "Alice AI" could be included in the list of mandatory pre-installed software and receive a special status giving it advantages over other applications. Market analysts saw in this risks of monopolization of the digital space by Yandex.
The essence of the initiative and Yandex's position
This concerns the possible expansion of rights for AI assistants on smartphones, tablets, and smart speakers. Behind the scenes at the Ministry of Digital Development, the need to grant Alice access to system functions, notifications, and even banking applications to perform more complex tasks is being discussed. However, Yandex emphasizes that even in this case, the assistant will not receive any unique privileges. The device owner will always be able to choose any assistant — Russian or foreign — and the right to choose will remain a fundamental option for every user.
Ryutin also noted that "Alice AI" does not receive additional capabilities and has no advantages over foreign models. It only has access to the standard assistant functions that already exist on the market.
Context: pre-installation as a norm and risks for the market
Let me remind you that the requirement to pre-install Russian software on new devices has been in effect since spring 2021. The list of mandatory programs is regularly updated: in July 2026, it included Yandex Browser, Yandex Maps, 2GIS, Mail.ru Mail, and others. "Alice AI" is also already on this list.
However, it is precisely the combination of mandatory pre-installation with potential expansion of rights that causes the greatest concern among experts. This could create a unique market position for Alice, effectively cementing Yandex's dominance in voice interfaces and access to sensitive data.
My analysis: It is telling that Yandex is forced to publicly justify itself even before any final decisions are made. This indicates the high sensitivity of the topic in society. From a security perspective, even with user consent, granting an AI assistant access to banking operations is a huge attack surface. If the initiative is implemented in its original form, the market could face new challenges in cybersecurity that will require no less close attention than issues of monopolization.