Sberbank is undertaking a structural shift in how it leverages technology to drive its business, adopting a strategy that centers on technological leadership. The bank’s communications arm outlined a clear plan: two dedicated blocks have been formed to tackle ambitious objectives and accelerate progress across the organization.
The technology block is charged with building and delivering the core platforms that power the bank’s operations and its Platform V. On the other hand, the Technological Development block is focused on designing a new platform architecture built around artificial intelligence. This unit will include the key domains where the implementation of the Sber as Assistant strategy will be anchored, ensuring the human-centric, AI-powered capabilities become integral to daily banking and customer experience.
Both blocks will operate in close coordination, aligning teams across technology and product development to transform the IT environment. The emphasis is on delivering breakthrough technologies and innovative AI-based products while laying a solid technological foundation that enables Sber to craft deeply personalized products and services for its customers. The approach is designed to create a seamless synergy between advanced research, engineering execution, and practical deployment at scale.
The Technological Development block will be led by Senior Vice President Andrey Belevtsev, and the Technologies block will be led by Senior Vice President Kirill Menshov. Their leadership is framed as a catalyst for accelerating innovation, guiding teams through a period of rapid experimentation, disciplined execution, and continuous learning that aims to keep Sber at the forefront of financial technology.
Speaking about the strategic shift, the bank noted that the next phase involves not merely matching current trends but setting new benchmarks for product and technology development. The focus is on creating solutions that did not exist before, advancing the pace of innovation, and ensuring that the technology backbone remains fast, adaptable, and highly reliable. The leadership described the effort as a collective advance driven by mature, experienced professionals who bring together strong technical vision and practical problem-solving to address complex challenges in the financial sector.
Around the end of April it was disclosed that Sber’s neural network model GigaChat has been active since its launch exactly one year earlier, with usage surpassing the 90 million interactions mark. The initiative reached a broad audience, tallying more than 5 million unique users and earning recognition for its reach and impact. This milestone underscored the bank’s commitment to deploying AI tools that can scale across its services and help customers interact with technology in intuitive ways, from support assistance to personalized recommendations and automated workflows.
GigaChat was highlighted alongside other leading AI services globally, noted for its capabilities and potential contribution to ongoing digital transformation initiatives. The recognition reflected not only the technical prowess behind the model but also the practical value it offers to customers and partners in enhancing efficiency, accessibility, and convenience across banking activities.
Earlier reports mentioned a shift in consumer behavior within Sber’s ecosystem, as more customers began using smiling payments at supermarkets and restaurants. This trend illustrated how AI-enhanced interfaces and contactless interactions can streamline everyday transactions, reinforcing the importance of practical AI deployments that improve user experience while maintaining security and reliability in commercial settings.