Political Philosophy of Technology and Responsible Innovation in a Multipolar World

The Russian and Chinese Cases of AI Ethics

Abstract

This article introduces a political-philosophical framework for understanding Responsible Innovation / Responsible Research and Innovation and ethical AI governance within a multipolar world. It argues that although R(R)I is often presented as a neutral and universal model for aligning science and technology with ethical and societal values, it remains deeply embedded in Western liberal-democratic assumptions of deliberation, participation, and transparency. When viewed through non-liberal cultural and political traditions, these principles acquire new meanings, revealing the limits of normative universalism. Through a comparative analysis of Chinese and Russian approaches, this article challenges the Western liberal-democratic foundations of R(R)I and AI ethics. The Chinese model, rooted in Confucian harmony (he) and virtue (de), frames responsibility as moral mediation, while the Russian approach associates responsible innovation with contributing to the common good and technological sovereignty. The study critiques the asymmetric perception of both models of AI governance — where China's is seen as centralized yet harmonious, and Russia's as merely state-controlled — and offers a revised view of Russian “sovereign AI” as a collaboration framework enabling dialogue among government, industry, and science: the Russian AI Ethics Code reveals more interdisciplinary collaboration than typically acknowledged. Finally, the paper explores the notion of a multipolar architecture of responsibility to create space for cultural diversity within a shared humanistic vision. This framework positions science and technology as tools for global cooperation rather than geopolitical competition.