Iran breaks into global top 20 for AI, claims 3rd spot in Muslim world
Iran ranks 18th worldwide and third among Islamic countries in artificial intelligence, with 5,068 research papers published in the field, Science, Research and Technology Minister Hossein Simaei Sarraf said on Sunday.
Speaking at a ceremony honoring winners of the International AI Olympiad, Sarraf said about 44,000 students and 400 specialized companies were active in the field, IRIBNEWS reported.
“Digital economy companies account for 27% of Iran’s tech-based businesses,” he said, adding that about 16,000 technology units operate across 60 science and technology parks.
Sarraf said the achievements had been made despite wartime conditions, which had affected some facilities and resources used to prepare Iran’s teams. “Nevertheless, Iran’s team broke new ground by winning a gold medal at the International AI Olympiad for the first time.”
The minister referred to an attack on the laser laboratory at Shahid Beheshti University during the 40-day US-Israeli war that broke out in late February and said it was wrong to think that destroying a building could bring down Iran’s scientific structure.
“Iran’s thousands of years of civilizational, scientific and cultural history could not be erased by targeting several buildings,” he said.
“Even advanced countries cannot easily compete with Iran’s capacity” in human resources, Sarraf said, while acknowledging limitations in facilities and infrastructure.
He called on officials to value the country’s human capital and provide the resources needed for its development.
The minister said the country would roll out 25 new AI degree programs for the new academic year. “A dedicated fast-track system has also been created to recruit AI faculty members, while AI has been added as a key subject in educational curricula.”