TLDR: Iran has significantly improved its standing in global Artificial Intelligence (AI) scientific research, moving from 33rd to 30th place in the Nature index. Concurrently, the nation advanced three spots to 91st in the Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index, reflecting a concerted effort to enhance AI infrastructure and public service integration.
TEHRAN – Iran has demonstrated notable progress in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with its scientific production ranking improving globally and its government’s AI readiness showing an upward trend. According to Hossein Afshin, an official with Iran’s vice-presidency of science and technology, the country’s position in AI scientific production, as measured by the Nature index, has risen from 33rd to 30th. This advancement places Iran firmly among the top 50 leading nations in AI research.
Afshin highlighted that Iran’s regional ranking in scientific production fluctuates between 14th and 17th, a range attributed to a strategic focus on quality over sheer volume. He expressed optimism for further improvements in the nation’s scientific standing within the next two years, as reported by IRNA. The official also confirmed ongoing efforts to develop robust AI infrastructure, including the establishment of a dedicated AI platform and an AI assistant in the near future.
In parallel, Iran has also seen an improvement in its governmental capacity to implement AI in public services. The latest report by the Oxford Insights index, which assesses government AI readiness across 188 countries, shows Iran climbing three positions from 94th in 2023 to 91st. This index evaluates 40 indicators across three key pillars: Government, Technology Sector, and Data & Infrastructure.
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Detailed analysis of the Oxford Insights index reveals Iran’s strengths and areas for development. The country’s best performance is in the Data and Infrastructure pillar, scoring 66.29, an improvement from 55.88 last year. This pillar includes indicators such as infrastructure (70), data availability (43), and data representativeness (121). The Technology pillar shows a score of 38.82, a slight increase from 38.77 in 2023, encompassing human capital (54), innovation capacity (62), and maturity (82) indicators. Conversely, Iran’s lowest score is in the Government pillar, at 26.54, which marks a decrease from 31.56 in 2023. This pillar assesses vision (84), governance and ethics (145), digital capacity (92), and adaptability (177). Regionally, Iran’s ranking in the Government AI Readiness index has also improved by one position, moving from 17th in 2023 to 16th in 2024. These advancements underscore Iran’s commitment to leveraging AI for national development and public service enhancement.
