Why Yandex Believes the Future of AI Depends on Human-Centri…

Yandex, one of the world’s most recognisable technology companies, has spent more than two decades building products across search, mobility, food delivery, entertainment, and AI. It also runs the Yandex Cup, a competition that has grown into a key global event for programming talent.

During a recent conversation, Dima Masyuk, CEO of Search and Advertising at Yandex, discussed the company’s engineering heritage, competitive strategy, the evolution of its AI ecosystem, and the growing influence of countries like Brazil and India in the global innovation landscape.

Dima Masyuk: Our history isn’t only about the number of years — it’s about the achievements that came with them. We remain the only company in the world to have outperformed Google in fair competition in a local market. Users can freely choose either search engine, yet we hold a larger share of the market.

Over the years, we built a uniquely diversified ecosystem almost entirely in-house, without major acquisitions. It includes a leading ride-hailing service, a food-delivery platform with more than a million orders a day, the largest travel and hotel booking service in our region, and multiple other high-impact content and service platforms.

To support all this, we’ve grown one of the world’s strongest machine-learning and AI teams. This capability now drives our efforts to build AI-first products and transform existing ones using the newest generation of AI technologies. That’s the priority for any major tech company today, and it’s certainly ours as well.

Dima Masyuk: We have one of the strongest traditions in competitive programming. In many top Olympiads and competitions, local teams win more than half of the time — sometimes closer to three-quarters. It’s a national tradition, similar to our excellence in chess.

As a leading IT company, we support this culture. We’ve hosted the Yandex Cup for many years, attracting enormous talent and feeding a self-reinforcing cycle: talented participants enrich the competition, and the competition attracts even more exceptional people.

This year, we received more than 20,000 applications, including over 2,000 from India, across six tracks: Machine Learning, Front-End, Back-End, Algorithms, Mobile Development, and Analytics. We’re truly inspired by the scale and the level of attention it receives globally.

Dima Masyuk: Competitive programming differs from industrial-scale development, but the intellectual rigour required — the ambition to win, the precision, the creativity — is precisely the mindset needed in highly competitive technological environments.

All our apps operate in markets where users can freely download alternatives. That creates extremely high competition. The mindset of striving to stand out among 20,000+ participants is similar to what we face when building products that must compete with thousands of AI apps and digital services.

So, while the tasks are framed for competition, they mirror the analytical thinking, efficiency, and problem-solving we rely on every day. In many ways, we see ourselves as a modern mathematical school — a place where engineering and competitive reasoning meet.

Dima Masyuk: For decades, our goal has always been to bring the newest technologies to users, whether that was building internet services 20 years ago, platforms a decade ago, mobility and gig-economy services, or streaming products more recently. Today, we’re entirely focused on the new era of generative AI.

What sets us apart is our commitment to building technology with a human touch. That philosophy helped us succeed not only in competition but also in creating products people genuinely love. Over the years, Alice has become part of daily life for millions. It’s installed in roughly one in five households in Russia.

This isn’t only due to utility — it’s because people feel that the product has personality, emotion, and warmth. AI today interacts directly with our intellectual, emotional, and decision-making processes. It participates in what makes us human. Our ambition to combine cutting-edge technology with humanity comes together naturally in AI.

Dima Masyuk: Technology must help solve real human challenges — not only save time or money. Issues in health, the environment, and global safety require meaningful innovation.

One example is our open-source AI tool that detects early signs of infant cerebral palsy with more than 90% accuracy. It reduces evaluation times from days to minutes, dramatically improving the chances for early intervention. The tool is freely available on GitHub.

Another example is our AI-powered service for monitoring volcanic ash movement, designed to help protect communities and ecosystems. These projects reflect our passion for combining technological strength with a responsibility to improve human life.

Dima Masyuk: Innovation is one of the most powerful forces shaping human progress. Those who pursue new technologies with passion and courage not only contribute to global improvement but also receive genuine gratitude from the millions who benefit from their work.

It’s one of the most meaningful ways to apply yourself in life.

Dima Masyuk: Brazil has a remarkable combination of creativity and determination. For years, many of us have been inspired by Brazilian companies — from gaming studios like Wildfire to fintech innovators like Nubank.

That mix of imagination and practicality is precisely what we hope to support and reflect through the Yandex Cup. We look forward to welcoming more Brazilian participants into this global community of problem-solvers.

Dima Masyuk: India is known worldwide for exceptional engineering talent — and leadership. Today, talent is the rarest and most essential resource in AI. India plays a significant role in driving this global revolution.

While global AI players make remarkable advances, I believe local engineers and companies can create solutions uniquely relevant to their own cultures, economies, and communities. I strongly encourage Indian developers and students to build something significant for local users — while also contributing to the global AI movement. That’s precisely the spirit we try to cultivate in our initiatives.

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