Three experts weigh in: can AI save Russia from its labor shortage?

Elvira Nabiullina recently said that modern Russia faces an unprecedented labor shortage. That raises a pressing question: can AI be the answer and make the economy stronger?

The problem is acute and real

The labor shortage is a practical problem for Russian businesses, not a theoretical scenario. Companies can't find the specialists they need, wages are rising, and productivity is falling. Replacing people with artificial intelligence sounds like a logical way out: neural networks can take over employees' functions, which in theory increases the number of available "hands." Reality is more complicated, though. Three experts were asked whether such a replacement will happen and how it would affect the economy and people: Artur Zubanov of IAS Digital, Evgenia Lyubko of the Pryaniki platform, and Ekaterina Agaeva of GdeRabota.ru.

AI will fill only part of the gap

The experts agree that AI can handle some tasks, but not all of them. Neural networks are good at: Routine analytics and data processing Supporting development and code review Drafting first versions of text and content Handling calculation and classification tasks * Automating administrative work But even in these areas, people remain essential for strategic decisions, managing others, negotiation, and creative work. AI is an amplifier, not a replacement.

What happens to people The discussion between the experts revealed two main trajectories.

In the first, people retrain and move into creative work, scientific research, and their own businesses. In the second, temporary unemployment sets in until the economy restructures. Reality will most likely be a mix of both. In some sectors (customer support), AI will push people out quickly. In others (management, strategy, art), demand for humans will stay high. The key factor is how fast people can retrain and how willing they are to change.

An AI-driven economy may be healthier if the state supports people's

transition into new professions.

What this means Will the economy get stronger?

Probably yes — provided AI adoption goes hand in hand with investment in education and retraining. Simply replacing people with neural networks and changing nothing else is a path to social upheaval and to leaving AI's potential untapped. The labor shortage and mass AI adoption are both a threat and an opportunity. How exactly Russia seizes that opportunity will become clear over the next 5–10 years.