Artificial intelligence stands as a major catalyst for transformation across economies and scientific fields, according to remarks by German Gref, president of Sberbank, during the Technology and People lecture at the Moscow campus of School 21. He framed AI as a powerful enabler that can accelerate progress in diverse sectors while underscoring the enduring value of human involvement in shaping and supervising these systems.
Gref emphasized that AI opens vast opportunities for growth, yet highlighted the irreplaceable role of people in guiding and governing intelligent technologies. The focus should be on collaboration between human expertise and machine capabilities, rather than envisioning automation as a replacement for human labor.
He described a collaborative future in which engineers design and fine-tune AI systems, assign tasks, and monitor outcomes. Across this landscape, there will be no scenario where artificial intelligence stands alone; success will stem from the synergy between human insight and algorithmic processing, with domain experts providing deep understanding of how complex processes operate.
The central priorities in AI development, he identified, are interpretability and reliability. These elements are essential for translating AI innovation into practical, commercially viable applications. Without clarity in how results are produced and confidence in their accuracy, deploying AI at scale would be impractical and risky.
Gref reiterated the necessity of understanding how AI works to work effectively with it. Comprehension of model behavior, data provenance, and decision boundaries empowers organizations to deploy AI responsibly and to improve outcomes over time.
Beyond technical proficiency, he pressed the point that humanity must guide technology. No matter how sophisticated tools become, the aim remains human-centered: technology should amplify human capabilities, support ethical choices, and preserve the dignity of individuals as we navigate an increasingly digital world. The message focused on keeping people at the core of AI adoption, ensuring that innovations enhance rather than diminish human potential.
Finally, Gref touched on the Digital Marathon initiative, a competition open to adults that invites participants to tackle tasks of varying difficulty. The event is designed to engage both seasoned IT professionals and newcomers, offering a practical avenue to explore digital skills and to see how AI and related technologies can be applied in real-life challenges, fostering broader participation in the tech economy.