International Seminar “Human-Centered Barriers to Artificial Intelligence Implementation in the Public Sector: A Comparative Study of Russia and China”
The International Laboratory for Digital Transformation in Public Administration at HSE University, in cooperation with colleagues from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China), is carrying out an international research project focused on analyzing human-centered barriers to the implementation of artificial intelligence in the public sectors of Russia and China
An important milestone in the development of the project was an international academic seminar held on December 17, 2025, during which the HSE research team presented the results of the project’s interim stage to their Chinese partners.
The seminar opened with welcoming remarks by Evgenii Styrin, PhD in Sociology and Head of the Laboratory, who emphasized the scale and interdisciplinary nature of the project, highlighted the high quality of its implementation, and thanked both teams for their active engagement and strong interest in advancing the joint research agenda.
The main research findings were presented by Anna Sanina, PhD in Sociology and Leading Research Fellow at the Laboratory.
The presentation showcased the results of compiling and analyzing representative English-, Chinese-, and Russian-language corpora of academic publications. The analysis revealed a steady increase in references to AI across all three corpora, confirming the growing relevance of studying AI implementation in public administration.
Significant differences in thematic and discursive emphases were identified.
The English-language corpus is characterized by a more normative, ethics-oriented, and values-based approach, with a strong focus on participation and trust.
The Chinese corpus demonstrates a pragmatic and state-centered orientation, emphasizing regulation, governability, and efficiency.
The Russian corpus stands out for its problem-oriented agenda, highlighting structural constraints, institutional risks, and regulatory uncertainty.
A substantial part of the seminar was devoted to a comparative analysis of government strategies, policies, and gray literature related to AI development in Russia and China. The analysis showed that Russia faces challenges associated with regulatory uncertainty and dependence on foreign technologies, whereas China more often encounters issues related to over-regulation and high compliance burdens.
Special attention was given to human-centered barriers to AI implementation. Among the key constraints identified were data and infrastructure limitations, shortages of qualified personnel, issues of trust and public acceptance, as well as differences in ethical and governance approaches to AI. The study documented both commonalities and context-specific differences in the barrier landscapes of Russia and China.
A key outcome of the presentation was a multi-level conceptual model describing institutional, organizational, and individual barriers to AI implementation in the public sector. Building on this model, the HSE team developed a conceptual framework for an integrated index of human-centered AI implementation barriers,designed for international comparative research.
The Chinese side was represented at the seminar by Siqi Li and Nanyan Cao, PhD candidates at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The Chinese colleagues expressed strong interest in the project’s findings. In particular, Siqi Li suggested applying a policy narrative analysis approach as a promising direction for further comparative research. The parties agreed to continue discussions in early 2026, with the aim of further developing the methodology, refining the index, and preparing joint publications.
The project lays the foundation for long-term international academic cooperation. One of its key practical outcomes will be the preparation of a joint series of articles for publication in high-ranking international academic journals focusing on the comparative analysis of AI implementation in public administration.
