Despite the Supreme Leader’s emphasis on leading in the Web 3.0 sphere since the early 2010s, only the smallest steps have been taken in this direction.
Neglecting the Supreme Leader’s Concern
The world entered the Internet era with Web 1.0, later progressing to Web 2.0, which encouraged user interaction and content creation on social networks. Web 3.0 has emerged today, attracting many followers with its decentralization feature despite lingering uncertainties. However, contrary to the Supreme Leader’s call to pioneer Web 3.0 in Iran in the early 2010s, the country has taken minimal steps. This is insufficient to make a meaningful contribution and has caused significant lag.
Web 3.0’s Two Main Features: Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence
Blockchain and AI are essential elements of Web 3.0, yet there seems to be hesitation about diving into this new era in our country. On the one hand, officials emphasize the need to adopt new technologies; on the other, some hold valid concerns—or sometimes unnecessary fears—that hinder the progress of these technologies. Despite these concerns, it seems that the government’s core understands the necessity of Web 3.0 development.
We spoke to Reza Taghipour, Tehran’s representative in the Iranian Parliament, who emphasized the Supreme Leader’s encouragement of emerging technologies: “The Supreme Leader’s directive regarding Web 3.0 dates back to the early 2010s, showing his vision was so forward-looking that he questioned why we shouldn’t invent Web 3.0 ourselves. The main responsibility here lies with knowledge-based companies and our research, scientific, and academic institutions. His guidance has always emphasized that these movements must be grassroots; citizens, experts, and scholars should drive progress.
The government’s role is to facilitate and support, creating the right structure and incentives so that our country can keep pace with nations that possess advanced knowledge and technology. However, if we evaluate our progress over the past decade, we must admit that our efforts have not been sufficient, and we haven’t taken substantial steps toward Web 3.0 development.”
The Necessity of Wealth Creation through New Technologies
Taghipour pointed out that one of today’s successful paths to national wealth creation is through new technologies like blockchain and AI: “This initiative has several key components. Scholars and research centers are essential drivers, and the government must support this movement by opening pathways and creating conditions for growth. Once achieved, this path is further smoothed by businesses, allowing wealth creation. Parliament has done its part by enacting the Knowledge-Based Economy Act, which aims to remove barriers, but research and management centers should also contribute to streamlining this process.”
Our efforts haven’t been sufficient in the past 12 years, and we haven’t made significant steps toward Web 3.0 development.
Taghipour discussed the delay in regulating new technologies: “Lawmakers generally believe that coordination with the government is preferred, so they expect the government to submit such measures as bills. However, we saw that in cases where governments failed to act promptly, Parliament took the initiative to propose its measures. One example is the ‘Data and National Information Management Act.’ There’s a legal gap in data governance, leaving many businesses uncertain about their investments and their prospects for returns.”
Parliament Looks to the Government for a Blockchain Bill
He elaborated on Parliament’s actions: “In late 2022, Parliament formed the AI and Data Governance Caucus, with 52 members participating. We’ve held numerous meetings with AI stakeholders to develop governance frameworks and identify legal needs. We expected the government to propose a blockchain bill to set the groundwork for easing business activities and supporting knowledge-based companies in this area.”
He stressed that all concerns and potential risks must be addressed within a governance framework: “If we define this framework, it will provide a structure that identifies opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses. The framework will specify where caution is needed and how to mitigate internal or external risks. We aim to protect citizens’ investments and avoid past incidents where people lost their wealth, such as with unlicensed investment funds. Although such funds differ from new technologies, any emerging field without clear frameworks can lead to harm. That’s why we believe governance frameworks are the solution.”
The Foundation of Emerging Technologies Lies in Human Capital, Not Physical Assets
With technologies advancing rapidly, delays in this area can have irreparable consequences. Taghipour agreed that speeding up progress is a reasonable expectation. He cited delays in crypto-asset regulations as an example: “Parliament didn’t act because we were waiting for a government bill outlining a regulatory framework. We hope that in the next Parliament, this will move faster and foster growth based on the talents and potential within our country.”
He concluded, “The cornerstone of emerging technologies isn’t capital or hardware; it’s intellectual resources. Thankfully, we have proven capabilities in this area, and our experts in knowledge-based firms are increasingly active. This strengthens our hope that by leveraging advanced knowledge, we can create wealth and improve the welfare of our people.”
