One of the visions outlined in the draft of the artificial intelligence document recently prepared by the Scientific Deputy is for Iran to be among the top 10 countries in this field. Furthermore, according to this document, the Scientific Deputy of the President’s Office is required to support the establishment of artificial intelligence unicorn companies. This comes while, in the current year, the Minister of Communications announced that the Supreme Council of Cyberspace is in the process of drafting an artificial intelligence document.
According to IDEA, In mid-Khordad 1402 (June 2023), the Minister of Communications announced that, according to the division of responsibilities, the Supreme Council of Cyberspace is responsible for legislating in the field of artificial intelligence. According to him, this council is drafting the Artificial Intelligence Development Document.
Now, Hadi Asheri, the Deputy of the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Headquarters at the Scientific Deputy of the President’s Office, has stated that a draft of the National Artificial Intelligence Document has been prepared in the Scientific Deputy’s institution and has been sent to the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution for further review.
He said, ‘The document includes 4 major objectives, 5 main strategies, 30 major indicators, about 140 initiatives, and 150 activities or projects, along with 175 minor indicators. It is currently presented to the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, and specialized committees have been formed for its review.’
According to him, the vision of this document is for Iran to be among the top 10 countries in artificial intelligence and a leader in this field. He added, ‘This is a general objective, and sub-objectives need to be defined under it. For example, in the field of innovation, our status needs to be determined, or in terms of human capital and technical infrastructure, we need to reach a certain position to compete with top countries.
The Deputy of the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Headquarters at the Scientific Deputy of the President’s Office discussed the responsibilities of this deputy in supporting the launch of artificial intelligence unicorns:
“The competitiveness of companies is another important and emphasized aspect of the document, and based on these objectives, we should be able to launch some major technology companies in artificial intelligence. Because the model for the development of artificial intelligence worldwide is based on technology companies. For example, in the United States, companies like Google, Facebook, and Microsoft have been pioneers in the field of artificial intelligence, and in other ecosystems as well, artificial intelligence has taken shape based on similar companies. In terms of commercialization and establishing technology, certain indicators have also been defined. For instance, the Scientific Deputy is obligated to support the launch of several unicorn companies in the field of artificial intelligence so that they can excel in technology.”
The establishment of an Artificial Intelligence
Headquarters is another topic mentioned in the document. Asheri explained, “The current proposal in the document is that ultimately an Artificial Intelligence Headquarters should be established in the country, and the Ministry of Science, the Ministry of Communications, the Scientific, Technological, and Economic Deputy of the President’s Office, etc., must have representatives in this headquarters. The Scientific Deputy will appoint the secretary of the headquarters, which essentially has a coordinating role. However, this matter is under review in the Secretariat of the Supreme Council and has not been finalized.”
He emphasized the need for the practical application of artificial intelligence and said, “One of the main goals of this document is to meet the needs and solve the challenges through the practical application of artificial intelligence. This means that the application of artificial intelligence in the country must be a top priority. If we only focus on being ranked first in the world in the field of scientific research, for example, it will not be beneficial if we have not applied artificial intelligence technology.”
Furthermore, the Deputy of the Artificial Intelligence Headquarters highlighted the importance of “human capital development” in the field of artificial intelligence and stated, “A significant portion of artificial intelligence technology relates to the software sector, and it is crucial that there is a division of labor between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science, and the Scientific Deputy in this sector. Each of them should have a clear mission in the field of human resource development. The Ministry of Science and Education trains knowledge workers, and ultimately, to transform knowledge workers into experts, the Scientific Deputy can intervene and plan.
Preparation of the Atlas Artificial Intelligence
This official also mentioned the preparation of an atlas at the Artificial Intelligence Headquarters that will specify how many companies are active in this field:
“Some companies are only developing knowledge in this field, or a company may import a robot from a foreign company and hack its logo. These companies need to be identified in a comprehensive atlas. The identification of elite individuals in the field of artificial intelligence, the number of graduates in postgraduate studies in this field, the status of artificial intelligence exports, and the country’s position in terms of the number of articles and patent registrations are also important aspects that should be addressed in this atlas.”
Asheri believes that another area where a value chain can be created for artificial intelligence is “collaboration with regional or international countries.”
He emphasizes that by leveraging the capabilities of knowledge-based companies active in the field of artificial intelligence in other countries, especially neighboring countries, wealth and value can be created: “For example, a service similar to the Snapp application has been launched in Iraq, which has helped meet their needs.
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