Azamat Zhilokov: AI is a new way of life

The KBSU Media Center spoke with Azamat Zhilokov, director of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT, Phystech), about the developments of the leading Russian university, collaboration with the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov, and how AI is transforming education, science, and business.

— The Institute of Artificial Intelligence was established at MIPT in 2024. What were the team’s initial goals?

— The Institute was created at the initiative of our Rector, Dmitry Viktorovich Livanov, and unites all laboratories working on machine learning and artificial intelligence. Its goal is to create cutting-edge AI solutions that are in demand in the economy.

— What do you consider the main achievements of the MIPT Institute of Artificial Intelligence?

— Firstly, we have managed to assemble a very strong team. We attracted scientists from both within and outside of MIPT. A business unit was quickly formed at the Institute, organizing work with industry. This is also important, because collaborating with large corporations and the public sector is not easy. You need to meet business expectations, select appropriate formats for interaction, and live and achieve results at their pace.

— What role does the MIPT community play in this process?

— I think it’s quite significant. I graduated in 2007 and have been involved in international business for the last 17-19 years. Nevertheless, I remained integrated into the MIPT alumni community, the Phystech Union, and participated in social projects. I rejoined MIPT through this association just over a year ago.

When the AI ​​Institute was formed, many people joined the team through alumni connections, and industrial partnerships are being formed in a similar way. For example, our alumnus, Andrey Krivenko, founder of a large retail supermarket chain, is very actively involved in the work. The importance of the MIPT alumni community is difficult to overestimate.

— What financial results are you planning for this year?

— We’ve achieved good financial results; this year, our total revenue will exceed one billion rubles. Money is important as an indicator of the relevance and demand for our solutions and expertise. After all, commercial companies will never invest in a university or science if they’re not interested in what we do.

In 2025, MIPT was among the seven winners of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia’s «third wave» of AI research centers. The grant will support scientific work and implement a systematic research program in AI.

We’ve also launched product initiatives in AI and created several spin-off companies that are developing successfully. The first results are expected by the end of the year. This is where my colleagues and I are heading.

— Following the seminar «Modern Research Trends in Artificial Intelligence,» a roundtable discussion was held on further cooperation between MIPT and KBSU. What agreements did the parties reach?

«We agreed that KBSU will send senior students and possibly faculty and group leaders for an internship at MIPT. We will organize a deep technological and methodological immersion for them, demonstrating how a cutting-edge AI research lab operates. The interns will then apply their acquired experience and replicate this configuration at KBSU. They will be able to expand the new lab’s operations using various tools, grants, programs, and commercial projects, just as we have at MIPT.»

«Do we already know the timeframe?»

«According to the preliminary agreement, KBSU will prepare and send a group to MIPT in January-February 2026. We are currently discussing the details: who will go, when, and which labs they will be assigned to. The goal is not to recruit people from your university; on the contrary, we are striving to create a center of expertise at KBSU and train people. This is the main goal set by the roundtable participants.»

In addition to Russian universities, we collaborate with leading international universities and research centers. We are currently establishing cooperation with China: Tsinghua University, Beijing University, and Beijing Institute of Technology. This is our international focus.

— Your colleague Yuri Vizilter spoke at a seminar at KBSU about how algorithms adapt to the level of humans. Could you explain the concept behind this?

— The psychology of artificial intelligence is reaching the level of human information processing, thinking, and action. This means that AI and LLMs are trained on all data created by humanity, at least that represented in symbolic form. Artificial intelligence agents are already capable of performing tasks at the level of a PhD candidate.

We expect that within two to three years, the professional landscape will significantly shift. Some fields will disappear, others will emerge, and still others will be partially replaced by either digital or embodied AI agents—robots.

— A similar idea was expressed by the scientific director of the National Center for Physics and Mathematics, Academician Alexander Sergeev, RAS microbiologist, speaking at KBSU. In his opinion, the fight for jobs is not yet as threatening as the social stratification. Do you agree that AI poses such risks?

— Various scenarios are possible; no one knows for sure how things will play out. We can recommend that schoolchildren and students study natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science to avoid falling into the wrong category of this social stratification. We need to actively use AI in everyday tasks and not fear change. Artificial intelligence is not just another technology. It is a new way of life. Both communities of people and large companies and countries will have to adapt to this new reality.