The Center was created to conduct scientific research on ethics and foreign economic cooperation in the field of AI and sustainable development, expand cooperation with national and foreign research centers and universities, as well as form an international expert platform in this area on the basis of the University. The main aims of the Center include advising to government agencies and companies on the development of AI-based technologies with focus on regulatory issues, organizing thematic conferences and round tables, regular publications of research results and bulletins, such as the «Digital Economy: International Agenda» bulletin. The Center works both in Russian and English languages.

According to the director of the Center, Anna Abramova, “The creation of the Center will help to expand the participation of Russian experts in promotion of AI and discussions of new approaches to using AI on Russian and foreign venues. In addition, consulting business and the public sector will contribute to the use of modern technologies in a more effective way in various fields by solving strategic problems and building balanced long-term forecasts. The Center also plans to publish an annual review on ethics in the field of AI, which will be of interest to both specialists and the general public”.

On December 15, 2021, the conference “AI ​​Global Dimension: from discussion to practice” will be held - an international discussion platform on AI issues, which will bring together academics, government and business representatives. The participants will discuss the most pressing and urgent issues of management and legal regulation in the field of artificial intelligence in Russia and abroad. The conference participants will consider the risks and opportunities in the implementation of modern artificial intelligence systems, the necessity and proportionality of the introduction of legal regimes and codes of ethics in this rapidly developing digital field, the initiatives and activities of the main actors in the field of artificial intelligence.

The first event of the Center - the round table “Ethics in AI - in search of consensus” was held on October 14 within the framework of the XIII Convention of the Russian Association for International Studies, where the analytical report “Ethics in the field of artificial intelligence - from discussion to scientific justification and practical application” was presented.

The Center was established in accordance with the development strategy of MGIMO 2030. One of the priorities of the program is the development of digital skills and competencies. In addition to the Center, MGIMO has been successfully running a master's program in Artificial Intelligence since 2018. It has been training specialists in the field of practical application of technology in business since 2018. The Center's experts provide academic and administrative support to the educational programme. The partners of the master's program are the ADV group, NVIDIA, MIPT, Microsoft, Skoltech, ETU LETI, Digital Academy + TETRACTYS.