Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared he has 'never been afraid of anything' during a Q&A session with young scientists in Novosibirsk, where he was asked about the dangers of artificial intelligence. The defiant remark comes as his domestic popularity reportedly declines and as a Ukrainian drone strike killed at least 13 people over 680 miles from the border.
Putin's Defiant Reply to AI Question
During the meeting with students and teachers in south-central Russia, Putin asked one young person: 'What kind of threat does artificial intelligence pose to us?' The young scientist responded, 'I'll be honest with you, you've got nothing to be afraid of.' Putin then said, 'And I've never been afraid of anything.'
He went on to suggest that AI could reduce people's cognitive abilities, dividing society into an intellectual elite and those who simply press buttons without thinking, according to First Post. The 73-year-old said: 'And their grey matter gradually shrinks, like shagreen leather. Boom-boom, press the buttons, and everything pops out.'
Tour Amid Falling Popularity
Putin has been touring Russian regions recently, including Tatarstan, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Buryatia, Omsk, and Irkutsk, in an apparent attempt to regain public support. His absence from public view in the spring raised questions about his health, as he was not seen for more than two weeks after Easter. At the Victory Day parade in May, he appeared with a puffy face and swollen cheeks, prompting further speculation.
The drone strike on Monday night in Tatarstan, which killed at least 13 people, marks a significant breach of Russian defences and brings the conflict closer to Russian citizens, potentially further eroding Putin's popularity.
Zelensky Warns of Mass Mobilisation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Sky News that Putin aims to mobilise up to 500,000 soldiers after the Russian parliamentary elections in September. Zelensky said: 'He wants to increase mobilisation. Not openly, because he is afraid of his society, but he will do it at the beginning of October, if we don't cause him problems with logistics, weapons, petrol, diesel, and if our partners don't impose total sanctions for his aggression.'
He added: 'It will be a big problem because he will aim to mobilise from 300,000 to 500,000 people. It's not that difficult for him to mobilise this number. He will have internal questions about it, because his society is – and I saw the polls – against mobilisation.'
Attacks inside Russia stemming from the war against Ukraine spill the conflict deeper onto Putin's doorstep, risking his popularity even further as citizens are subjected to the horrors of the fighting.
