VTB: every second Russian wants to have a personal AI agent

      May 19, 2026 12:57 Economy Almost half of Russians are ready to have a personal AI agent - a digital assistant based on artificial intelligence (AI) that knows their daily routine, analyzes data, and helps make decisions. These are the results of a survey conducted by VTB bank ahead of the "Digital Industry of Industrial Russia" (CIPR) conference.

      46% of respondents would like to have a personal AI assistant in one form or another. 29% of Russians are uncertain about this issue, while 25% view the idea negatively. The majority of respondents - 87% - have already heard of such technologies, and 66% find the idea of a personal AI agent understandable or completely understandable.

      The digital assistant is perceived as a productivity tool rather than entertainment. Survey participants primarily want to use personal AI agents to assist with work tasks, learning and skill development, day planning, automating household tasks such as shopping, habit tracking, and health recommendations.

      To create personal AI agents, a large amount of information about personal life and work is required. Mainly, Russians are willing to provide the AI agent access to their search history and online activity (43%), geolocation (42%), medical data (33%), biography (27%), financial information (26%), personal photos and video archives (19%), and personal correspondence (15%). 27% of Russians are not at all ready to share any information about themselves. 41% of respondents are willing to regularly update this information.

      Opinions on creating AI agents are evenly divided: 39% prefer to build an agent themselves based on available large language models, while another 39% will choose ready-made solutions from technology companies. 21% of Russians consider using personal AI agents through banks or financial organizations that have experience in creating smart chatbots. 76% of respondents would view such a service from a bank with interest or at least do not reject the idea.

      The main concern of Russians regarding the use of AI agents is the likelihood of data leaks, noted by 72% of survey participants. Another 54% fear AI errors, 41% cited the loss of control over decisions as their fear, and 31% chose dependency on technology.

      "In Russia, there is already a demand for personal AI agents, and now the market must respond and offer quality solutions. Personal digital assistants may become as common in the coming years as smartphones once did. Users who master the technology now will gain a fundamental advantage in the future. The sooner you start, the more accurate and useful the digital assistant will be," says Vadim Kulik, Deputy President - Chairman of the Board of VTB.

      The VTB survey was conducted in April 2026. It involved 1,500 respondents aged 18-65 living in cities with populations over 100,000. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+