Innovation Management Journal

Innovation Management Journal

Functional and Thematic Priorities in Artificial Intelligence Development Policies: A Review of Selected Countries’ Experiences

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Zeinab Eshaghi 1
Mostafa Safdari Ranjbar 2
1 Ph.D. candidate in Information Technology Management, Department of Management and Accounting, University of Tehran (College of Farabi), Qom, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Farabi Colleges, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran. Corresponding author. mostafa.safdary@ut.ac.ir
10.22034/imj.2025.531994.2920
Abstract
In the contemporary era, emerging and general-purpose technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), play a crucial role in transforming social, economic, and technological structures. According to reports, global investment in artificial intelligence and its impacts have rapidly expanded from technology sectors to healthcare, education, and security. This rapid growth has doubled the need for comprehensive, targeted policies to effectively harness this technology's potential. This study aims to identify and extract functional and thematic priorities in artificial intelligence development policies, focusing on the analysis of policy documents from selected countries. The research method is qualitative, using thematic analysis to examine national artificial intelligence documents from selected countries, including the United States, China, Russia, India, the United Arab Emirates, and the European Union. The findings are presented in two main sections: the first outlines functional priorities, including governance and policymaking, infrastructure development, talent attraction and human capital development, knowledge production and dissemination, AI ethics and safety, global regulation, and innovation ecosystem enhancement. The second section identifies thematic priorities across various areas, including healthcare, education, security, industry, media, lifestyle, and smart cities. The results revealed that while the United States emphasizes open innovation and public-private partnerships, China has adopted a long-term targeting approach, and the European Union focuses on a human-centered approach and protection of citizens' rights. Furthermore, at the thematic level, smart healthcare is the top priority in all countries, but Russia and China place greater emphasis on national security. By presenting a three-level thematic network, this study provides an overview of functional and thematic priorities that can serve as a reference for the design of national strategies and policy documents in the field of artificial intelligence.
Keywords
Emerging technologies
General-purpose technologies
Artificial intelligence
Functional priorities
Thematic priorities
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 30 June 2025
  • Revise Date 30 September 2025
  • Accept Date 13 October 2025