Inhuman communication: Russians will be able to refuse AI-based services
Russians who have refused the services of companies and organizations provided with the help of artificial intelligence will have to be serviced without the use of neural networks. This follows from the draft law on AI developed by the Ministry of Finance, Izvestia learned. At the same time, consumers are required to inform about the use of such technologies in the provision of goods and services. The norm is designed to protect people from mistakes and misunderstandings on the part of algorithms, experts say. But the document needs to be finalized — today, without the use of artificial intelligence, many services cannot be provided in principle.
Why give up communication with AI
Organizations will be required to provide services to customers without the use of neural networks if they refused to provide services using artificial intelligence. This follows from the draft law on AI prepared by the Ministry of Finance. The document is currently undergoing interdepartmental coordination, a source familiar with its development said. The approximate date of entry into force of the law is September 1, 2027. The government should establish a list of situations in which a citizen can refuse to serve AI, according to its developers.
The very right to refuse to interact with AI and the mechanisms for its implementation are not given in the wording of the document reviewed by Izvestia. In other versions, this rule has been spelled out and, most likely, will return to a more elaborated version of the document, the above-mentioned source believes.
The ability to opt out of interacting with AI is just one of the innovations in the draft law. If artificial intelligence makes a decision affecting human rights and freedoms, the user should be notified about it, the authors of the document note. Neural network developers, in turn, are required to test them for potential use for purposes contrary to the law, exclude functions that could lead to discrimination against citizens, and take other measures to ensure the validity of AI.
— The need to introduce this rule is dictated by the desire to ensure the legitimate right of the consumer to choose the format of interaction through live communication. The draft document establishes the function of human control, which is especially important in socially significant areas," Yaroslav Seliverstov, a leading expert in the field of AI at University 2035, explained to Izvestia.
The need to abandon AI may arise in situations where the cost of error is high or unique circumstances need to be taken into account. We are talking about medical diagnostics, urgent care, legal advice or financial recommendations, where an automatic solution can be harmful due to the fact that the algorithm is not able to correctly assess a specific situation or react promptly to changes, the expert explained. In addition, the refusal may be caused by the need to communicate with a live specialist in stressful situations, when formal responses from the autoinformer are inappropriate. This right is also in demand by people who have no experience working with AI, for whom a complex interface becomes more of an obstacle than a help, he added.
Karen Ghazaryan, Director of the Internet Research Institute, in turn, considers the bill to be crude and in need of revision.
— If customers of banks, airlines, and mobile operators start demanding "human" service en masse, this will lead to an unjustified increase in costs, inflated contact center staff, and eventually higher tariffs and prices. In addition, there are situations in which AI is basically impossible to do without, such as ordering a taxi in an app or using navigation services. These are, in fact, services provided with the help of AI, and human participation in their provision is impossible," he noted.
In his opinion, the law should not assign AI functions to a live specialist, but create conditions under which the user can quickly and effortlessly correct the error made by the algorithm.
The draft law looks like an attempt to outline the principles of good faith relations between the contractor and the customer in the light of the expansion of the use of AI, believes Yaroslav Shitsle, head of the It&Ip Dispute Resolution department at Rustam Kurmaev and Partners. If, at the stage of concluding a service agreement or performing work, the customer sets a condition that they must be performed without involving AI, violation of this condition will have appropriate legal consequences, the lawyer noted.
As for banks, mobile operators and airlines, they all offer customers to familiarize themselves with the rules for using their services — they may also specify the use of AI, Yaroslav Shitsle added. If the customer does not agree with them, they may not contact the company.
— At the same time, at the legislative level, there may be an obligation to obtain consent to the use of AI, by analogy with consent to the collection and processing of personal data, — said the lawyer.
A report with a preliminary version of the draft law is currently under consideration by the relevant departments. There is no final version of the document, it is premature to talk about specific initiatives that will be included in it, the press service of the Ministry of Finance said.
— The development of promising technologies, including artificial intelligence, is one of the important areas of activity of the department. At the same time, any technology should be used exclusively in compliance with the rights and interests of citizens, they stressed.
Izvestia sent a request to the office of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko, who oversees AI-related issues in the government.
Where you can't do without artificial intelligence
The introduction of the new rule may be due to the misuse of AI by some companies, according to T2.
— In the service, it is necessary to maintain a balance between robotics and the involvement of operators. Indeed, there are groups of users who may have difficulty using AI — people with disabilities, users aged 60-65 and older. For them, it is possible to leave the possibility of abandoning AI—based systems," said Daria Kolesnikova, a representative of the operator. — Robots are appreciated for the speed of solving the problem. Abandoning them would slow down the service and degrade the customer experience. I would like the new regulation not to lead to an unjustified ban on the use of neural networks in the service.
The use of AI is part of Wildberries &Russ' comprehensive technology strategy, the company said.
— It is important for us to ensure transparency and not to mislead consumers. Artificial intelligence has already become an integral part of services in our industry, therefore, when regulating its use, it is fundamentally important to prevent deterioration of the user experience, they believe.
In fact, any digital service uses various AI technologies. For example, recommendation algorithms work in online stores and online cinemas, said Leonid Konik, a partner at ComNews Research. Digital taxi services and airline websites use dynamic pricing that takes into account current demand and other factors, he explained. Even when placing an order through an employee on the company's side, artificial intelligence is still involved, the expert added.
— Many countries are concerned about the topic of AI regulation. For example, in the United States, literally in December 2025, the presidential decree "Ensuring national AI policy" was adopted. This document proclaims the goal of creating a "minimally burdensome national standard" for the development of AI. It secured the right of citizens to sue for using their personal or copyright data for AI training without explicit consent. He also introduced responsibility for creating and distributing digital copies (deepfakes) without permission," Leonid Konik gave an example.
So far, only the EU and South Korea require consumer warnings about the use of AI. In particular, the EU AI Act was adopted in 2025, according to which the transparency requirements will enter into force on August 2, 2026. Companies will be required to inform people that they are interacting with AI (for example, with a chatbot) if it is not obvious to the user, the expert added.
AI regulation is really necessary and is being introduced in many countries, but it must be clear so as not to leave discrepancies and not block the use of artificial intelligence in principle, says Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily. He explained that it is advisable to fix in the law the possibility of refusing to interact with AI and determine how a citizen and a service provider should act in this case, including the moment when the "inhuman" communication should end. Excessive regulation is irrational, since even live contact center operators use AI systems in their work, the expert added.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
