Iran ranks 12-18 in AI research, but lags in practical application

Iran's AI research ranks between 12th and 18th globally depending on the index, according to Emadeddin Fatemizadeh, head of the secretariat of the AI Technology Development and Application Headquarters, but operational adoption in government bodies lags well behind. Iran's position on the AI application index moved from 93 at the end of 2024 to about 76 this year. The headquarters' new round of calls prioritises two areas, monetary and banking, and transport; initial loans convert to grants only if a project is delivered within one year with a real end user.