Tehran Announces Investment in AI to Promote Private Sector Role, Digital Ecosystem

Iran plans to invest a total of US$1.68 billion in artificial intelligence and the digital economy to accelerate growth and expand private sector participation, a senior communications official said on Monday.

Ehsan Chitsaz, deputy minister for ICT policy and planning at the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, said that the new funding marks a major step toward strengthening the country’s digital ecosystem.

Addressing the National Conference on Investment Opportunities in ICT, he said US$1 billion of the investment will go to the digital economy and US$680 million to artificial intelligence, with contracts currently being finalized.

Chitsaz said the government must ensure a predictable economic environment and provide security for investors. He also noted that the ministry is undergoing “fundamental changes” in its approach to supporting the private sector, aiming to encourage more participation in the digital economy.

Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi said earlier that the ministry’s goal is to raise the digital economy’s share of Iran’s gross domestic product to 10%, up from the current level of less than 5%. Achieving this, he said on Saturday, would require major national and provincial initiatives. - Iran Daily