AI regulation in Iraq (2026)

The Iraqi National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (INSAIN) establishes ethical and operational pillars for AI across healthcare, education, agriculture, and public administration, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals. It is the country's principal AI policy document but carries no binding legal force.

The Higher (Supreme) Committee for Artificial Intelligence, chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, is the apex AI governance body. Its inaugural meeting in August 2024 reviewed INSAIN and key government AI projects; a second meeting examined a legislative road-map for a future AI bill.

The Ministry of Communications is preparing a draft AI regulation bill intended to introduce a risk-classification framework and algorithmic accountability rules, and to incorporate UN principles on human dignity and ethics. The bill had not been submitted to parliament as of mid-2026.

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) has worked with Iraq's Commission of Media and Communication to develop digital-government and AI policy frameworks, reflecting Iraq's reliance on international technical assistance for regulatory design.

Iraq ranked 107th globally in the 2024 Government AI Readiness Index (score: 40.91), well below the MENA regional average of 48.50, highlighting significant infrastructure and capacity constraints that limit the practical reach of any regulatory framework.

The Ministry of Communications launched Iraq's first national AI platform — including open data libraries and Arabic language models — in partnership with the National Data Centre. Colleges of Artificial Intelligence were opened at the University of Baghdad for the 2025–2026 academic year as part of INSAIN's implementation.