At a Moscow AI exhibition hosted by Sberbank, a humanoid robot called Green introduced itself as Russia's first embedded-AI humanoid and performed a short dance for President Vladimir Putin, who remained expressionless. A bodyguard briefly moved between the robot and the president during the routine. The appearance came days after another prototype fell at its debut and has intensified concerns about Russia's robotics sector amid sanctions and a brain drain. Putin called for a national task force to speed work on home-grown generative AI to protect "national sovereignty."
Putin Appears Unmoved as Humanoid Robot 'Green' Performs Dance at Moscow AI Expo
At a Moscow AI exhibition hosted by Sberbank, a humanoid robot called Green introduced itself as Russia's first embedded-AI humanoid and performed a short dance for President Vladimir Putin, who remained expressionless. A bodyguard briefly moved between the robot and the president during the routine. The appearance came days after another prototype fell at its debut and has intensified concerns about Russia's robotics sector amid sanctions and a brain drain. Putin called for a national task force to speed work on home-grown generative AI to protect "national sovereignty."
04:04 PM, 11/20/2025Technology
President Vladimir Putin watched a humanoid robot named Green perform a short dance routine at an AI exhibition in Moscow, an encounter broadcast on state television.
The robot introduced itself as "the first Russian humanoid robot equipped with embedded artificial intelligence," told Mr. Putin it wanted to "show off" its party moves, and then launched into a pop-song–backed routine. During the performance, a bodyguard briefly stepped between Green and the president to keep a cautious distance.
"Very beautiful," Mr. Putin said afterwards, his expression remaining neutral. "Thank you."
The demonstration took place at an AI conference hosted by Sberbank, which has been expanding into technology services. The clip followed another recent incident in which a prototype called AIdol, described as an anthropomorphic robot, toppled seconds after its public debut.
Those episodes have renewed scrutiny of Russia's domestic robotics sector. Critics say development has been hampered by Western sanctions that disrupted supply chains, structural economic challenges and an exodus of top engineers and researchers since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
At the same exhibition, Mr. Putin called for a national task force to accelerate development of home-grown generative AI models, describing such efforts as important for preserving "national sovereignty." He was offered a demonstration of Sberbank's new smart cash machines — devices that dispense money and can provide basic health readings such as pulse and blood pressure — but declined, saying he had just had his annual check-up and that "everything is fine."
The Kremlin later confirmed the 73-year-old president does not personally use AI, though some officials who work for him do.
This episode highlights both the public-relations ambitions and technical challenges of Russia's robotics efforts as the country seeks greater technological independence.