Video summary
A quiet but intense conflict is currently unfolding within Vladimir Putin's regime, pitting technocratic agencies against the Federal Security Service, or FSB, over the future of digital control in Russia. According to reports from The New York Times and The Washington Post, this internal struggle centers on divergent approaches to surveillance and governance. Technocratic bodies, such as the Ministry of Digital Development, advocate for advanced digital tools and artificial intelligence to manage society efficiently. In contrast, the FSB's second service, which handles political investigations and protects the constitutional order, prefers traditional analog methods that rely on human agents, denunciations, and force.
The core of this dispute lies in the fear that modern technology could undermine the very foundation of the FSB's power, which has historically depended on manual oversight and a culture of fear. Sources indicate that security officials are willing to destroy expensive technological infrastructure if it interferes with their established model of control. This clash represents a significant rift within the highest echelons of Russian power, reminiscent of the factional fights inside the Kremlin before Boris Yeltsin's re-election in 1996. As the state prepares for upcoming Duma elections, both sides are competing fiercely for the attention and favor of Putin, with artificial intelligence posing an existential threat to the sprawling apparatus that relies on human labor and intimidation.
The broader context of this internal war is the changing relationship between the Russian state and its elites, which has evolved in three distinct ways since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While some business leaders have profited from the expansion of the defense sector or by acquiring assets abandoned by foreign companies, others have suffered billions in losses due to international sanctions and economic isolation. Consequently, Putin is not only demanding that elites fund his war but has also begun seizing their assets directly. This shift injects cash into a war-drained economy while simultaneously creating incentives for security officials to pursue profitable targets as a way to demonstrate loyalty and advance their careers within the regime.
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The New York Times reports that a quiet
war is underway within Putin's regime
between technocratic agencies and the
FSB over methods of digital control over
society. A Russian official involved in
the development of digital
infrastructure told the publication
this. According to a NYT source,
technocratic agencies, including the
Ministry of Digital Development, are in
conflict with the FSB's infamous
political police unit. This refers to
the FSB's second service, which is
tasked with protecting the
constitutional order and conducting
political investigations. The source
claims that despite having access to
digital tools, the FSB was not involved
in their creation and prefers older
analog methods of surveillance and
control. According to him, security
officials are prepared to destroy
technologies that technocrats have spent
billions on if they interfere with the
traditional model of fear and manual
control. The Washington Post reports
that amid the war, a rift is growing
within the highest echelons of Russian
power, including between civilian
officials in the presidential
administration [music] and the FSB. One
of the Post sources compared the
intensifying internal struggle ahead of
the state Duma elections to the
conflicts within the Kremlin before
Boris Yeltson's re-election in 1996.
One of the reasons for the conflict is
the struggle for influence. A NT source
notes that artificial intelligence could
undermine the very rationale for the
existence of the FSB's sprawling
apparatus, which relies on human work,
agents, denunciations, surveillance, and
force. Ultimately, both sides are
competing for the attention and favor of
one man, Vladimir Putin. Officials,
technocrats, business leaders, and
figures at the top of the military
security establishment seized new
opportunities for enrichment while
largely avoiding comment on the war. 5
years on, the rising cost of the war is
testing that arrangement. Putin's
determination to achieve victory despite
[music] setbacks has placed increasing
burdens on Russia's business and
political leaders. The relationship
between the Russian state and elites has
changed in three distinct ways with
direct implications for Putin's grip on
power. Putin's full-scale war against
Ukraine immediately affected stateowned
business and the private sector in
Russia. While some benefited from the
expansion of the defense sector and from
acquiring assets left behind by foreign
companies, the shock of international
sanctions and the move towards a more
isolated economy cost billions for the
top business owners. Putin is not only
asking the elites to fund his war, but
has begun to seize their assets. The
process injects cash into a warst
drained economy while giving security
officials incentives to pursue
profitable assets to demonstrate loyalty
and climb the ranks.