VEB.RF has presented a digital twin of its chief strategist, Mikhail Khomich, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2025). Throughout the forum, the VEB.RF stand will host a digital ambassador forged from VEB’s own corporate knowledge, the first of its kind to possess a genuine voice, nuanced facial expressions, and articulate expertise. The digital avatar will talk about the group’s major infrastructure projects, pilot development regions, exports, entrepreneurship, and technology leadership − the key targets of VEB.RF’s new strategy for the period until 2030, which was announced at the forum.

Interactive communication

Mikhail Khomich’s avatar created by the Digital Workers team at the Skoltech Artificial Intelligence Center can answer questions from forum participants about VEB.RF operations, support opportunities, strategic priorities, and key projects in real time in Khomich’s genuine voice, with visually synchronized facial expressions and speech intonations. Mikhail joked that the avatar is better than the original in many respects, especially in intelligence.

“We have proved that digital ambassadors transcend mere spectacle. They are evolving into powerful tools for personalized communication between high-ranking officials, reaching out to wider audiences. Their potential applications include exhibitions, online platforms or offices, where precision, accessibility, and trust are of paramount importance,” said a spokesperson at the Skoltech AI Center.

Technology and implementation

The avatar leverages the Skoltech AI Center’s cutting-edge technology, including: 

• Generation of natural speech based on original voice,

• Facial expressions and intonation synchronized by a neural network,

• Integrated access to VEB.RF’s knowledge base.

The exceptional competencies of the Digital Workers team helped complete the project in record time of less than two weeks.

SPIEF-2025 is becoming a launchpad for a new kind of solutions − personalized digital ambassadors capable of speaking to the world in human language. Russia’s technological leadership is among VEB.RF’s priorities in the new strategy for the period until 2030, which aims to support cooperation in scaling development to full-scale production, establish holdings in strategic industries with high export potential, and enhance the efficiency of industrial enterprises through productivity improvement, digitization, and robotics programs.

This effort should result in at least 5 local lines for developing rehabilitation products, medicines, vaccines, robots, and other high-tech products, as well as at least 7 technology holdings and 750 new industrial production facilities, creating a total of 50,000 new jobs.

Importantly, the implementation of the group’s new strategy will help increase Russia’s GDP by an extra 2% by 2030.