Russia may tighten punishment for crimes using AI — AI could become an aggravating circumstance

The Investigative Committee of Russia has prepared a bill to tighten criminal liability for crimes committed using information and communication technologies. According to the head of the committee, Alexander Bastrykin, the measure will cover offenses involving AI, VPN, proxy servers, and other digital tools. Their use for criminal purposes is planned to be considered an aggravating circumstance. Bastrykin noted that Russian legislation currently lacks a universal norm to enhance liability for using AI and ICT in crimes. He believes adding such a factor to the Criminal Code is justified and correct, as it would cover all acts without needing constant legislative updates. The aggravating factor would only apply when digital technologies are the primary method of committing a crime or significantly increase the damage caused. Examples include cyber fraud, illegal data trafficking, and attacks on critical information infrastructure.