Iran Warns AI Could Create an “Invisible Dictatorship”

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology Hossein Simaee Sarraf has warned that artificial intelligence could transform control over data into control over people, potentially creating what he described as an “invisible dictatorship.” Speaking at UNESCO’s 2026 Global Forum on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Riyadh, he said AI is not inherently fair or neutral and could be used as a tool of oppression if deployed without ethical safeguards.

Simaee cautioned that excessive surveillance of citizens’ behavior, relationships and intentions could threaten human rights, while stronger oversight of governments and powerful institutions should be encouraged. He also questioned the responsibility of AI developers and technology platforms when their systems are used in ways that violate human rights. According to the minister, AI’s ability to identify and precisely target individuals with missiles has made its military applications an urgent ethical concern.

Referring to the reported US attack on a school in southern Iran, which Iranian authorities say involved AI and resulted in the deaths of 168 students and teachers, Simaee called for deeper international consideration of the risks posed by military AI. He further warned that unequal access to advanced technology could widen existing global inequalities, arguing that ethical AI frameworks should protect against harm while ensuring broader access. “Technology must serve humanity,” he said, emphasizing that AI should expand human freedom rather than restrict it and urging developing countries to develop systems adapted to their own languages and cultures.