Some 57% of Russian companies have introduced artificial intelligence into their human resources workflows, CNews reported on January 23.

Russian companies have embraced artificial intelligence more aggressively than many Western peers, with 29% deploying it in 2023, higher than the EU’s 22%, yet only a quarter have defined strategies or budgets to scale beyond pilots, leaving most firms vulnerable as sanctions choke access to advanced chips and cloud infrastructure.

The adoption rate rose by 26 percentage points compared to 2024. A study by online recruitment platform HeadHunter (HHR) revealed that 37% of respondents increased their use of AI tools and viewed it as a key achievement of 2025.

"It is significant that among all the achievements of the past year, CEOs of Russian companies most often note the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies," CNews quoted Maria Ignatova, director of research at HeadHunter, as saying.

Ignatova noted that senior management views AI as a way to increase efficiency, improve routine processes, and reduce human error rates. She added that using neural networks often signals a technologically advanced brand.

While 57% of employers use AI, only 4% apply it systematically across all personnel processes. Another 27% use the tools occasionally without a clear strategy. Large companies with over 1,000 staff members report higher usage at 62%, compared to 53% for firms with fewer than 100 employees.

Recruitment is the most common area for AI application, utilised by 31% of companies. Personnel administration follows at 22%, with training and development at 17%.

Employers plan to continue integrating AI in 2026, targeting adaptation (22%), training (21%) and recruitment (18%).

However, 50% of companies do not intend to use algorithms for compensation and benefits. Currently, 7% of firms use AI for calculating salaries and bonuses, while 12% plan to start in 2026.

AI is still used by a minority of organisations: in 2024, only 5.8% of Russian commercial enterprises and state bodies deployed AI technologies, roughly one in 17 organisations.