TEHRAN – The 2nd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ICAI 2026) is scheduled to be held on February 8 and 9, 2026 in Tehran.
Mehr news agency reported that Shahid Beheshti University will be the organizer of the event with the theme “AI for All”.
The conference will serve as a platform for national and international students, professionals, and researchers to gather and share the latest innovations, research, and scientific achievements in the field of AI.
It also aims to increase synergies between industry, universities and decision-making bodies.
The conference will focus on a variety of topics, including AI in asset management, natural language processing, image processing and machine vision, audio and signal processing, knowledge engineering and fundamental knowledge systems, robotics, theoretical topics in machine learning, cognitive and computational neuroscience, AI in gaming, AI hardware platforms, data mining and big data, bioinformatics, applications of AI in the humanities and social sciences, health and hygiene, governance, and engineering.
Pre-conference events include an AI Game Jam, an Intelligent Robot Challenge, and an AI-powered software development hackathon.
In addition, a specialized AI exhibition will be held alongside the conference, providing a unique opportunity for companies and startups to showcase their innovative products and services. It also helps develop relationships between academia and industry.
Advances in AI technology in Iran
According to the Nature Index, the country’s ranking in scientific achievements in artificial intelligence (AI) improved from 33rd to 30th place, putting it among the top 50 leaders, Vice President for Science and Technology Hossein Afshin said.
He said Iran’s ranking in the region fluctuates between 14th and 17th, mainly due to its focus on quality, adding: “We are optimistic about improving the country’s scientific status within the next two years,” IRNA reported.
The official further said that the country will move forward with the development of AI infrastructure, including AI platforms and AI assistants, in the near future.
The latest report from the Oxford Insights Index, which measures governments’ readiness to introduce AI into public services, ranks Iran 91st out of 188 countries, up three places from 94th in 2023.
AI will play a key role in not only managing technology but also improving government performance.
The Government AI Readiness Index has become a trusted resource for policymakers and has been adopted as an official benchmark by governments.
This year’s edition examines 188 countries’ AI readiness as governments face increasing complexity as they face evolving public needs and challenges, including economic uncertainty, climate risk, and rising inequality.
The 2024 Index examines 40 indicators across three pillars: government, technology sector, and data and infrastructure. It highlights progress, identifies gaps, and provides actionable insights for policymakers working to integrate AI into public service delivery.
At the heart of the index is the question: How ready are governments to deploy AI in public service delivery? By answering this question, we aim to provide practical tools that support evidence-based decision-making and enable policymakers to unlock the potential of AI to better serve populations around the world.
According to the index, the country’s highest ranking was in the data and infrastructure sector with a score of 66.29, an improvement compared to last year’s score of 55.88. This includes infrastructure (70), data availability (43), and data representativeness (121) metrics.
The country’s score in the technology pillar is 38.82. In 2023, it was 38.77. This includes indicators of human capital (54), innovation capacity (62), and maturity (82).
Iran’s lowest score was 26.54 points for the pillar of government, a decline compared to 31.56 points in 2023. This includes Vision (84 points), Governance and Ethics (145 points), Digital Capability (92 points) and Adaptability (177 points).
According to this year’s report, Iran’s ranking in the region improved by one place, from 17th in 2023 to 16th in 2024.
MT/MG