VP: AI Enters Operational Phase in Iran

“The AI has been developed in Iran since 2010. This technology was first introduced in self-driving cars, medical guidance systems and traffic management, and today, having passed the theoretical stage, it has entered industrial and operational applications,” Afshin said.

Noting that artificial intelligence is no longer a purely academic subject, he said, “There was a time when only theoretical discussions were raised about artificial intelligence, but today the country is facing a new generation of operational projects in the fields of oil, health, smart cities and industry.”

“This change of direction is the result of targeted investment and the serious entry of creative engineers into this field,” Afshin said.

In relevant remarks in February, an Assistant to the Iranian Vice-President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy had announced the country’s plan to launch three graphics processing unit (GPU) farms.

 “The existence of a GPU farm is one of the important indicators in the area of artificial intelligence technology, and we are launching a fast processing farm or the first GPU data center,” Mojtaba Alizadeh said.

Noting that the first GPU farm will be launched in May at one of the country's universities, he said, "Our goal is to show the world that Iran is a country that is progressing in the field of artificial intelligence."

“We will launch three GPU farms in Tehran, Kish Island, and other provinces by June and one of the most equipped GPU farms is on Kish Island which will be dedicated to the oil industry,” Alizadeh said.

A GPU is a specialized electronic circuit initially designed for digital image processing and to accelerate computer graphics, being present either as a discrete video card or embedded on motherboards, mobile phones, personal computers, workstations, and game consoles. After their initial design, GPUs were found to be useful for non-graphic calculations involving embarrassingly parallel problems due to their parallel structure.

GPUs ability to perform vast numbers of calculations rapidly has led to their adoption in diverse fields including artificial intelligence (AI) where it excels at handling data-intensive and computationally demanding tasks.

4155/v