MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. The global pace of artificial intelligence (AI) development could slow down due to a war in Iran, with the data centers there being attacked, CEO of the Nature and People Foundation and program director of the Vostok Discussion Club Sergey Rybakov told TASS.
"Iran’s war is putting pressure on the private lending industry that funded much of the data center construction, as investors are concerned that AI could undermine the financial stability of software companies. It is also possible that surge in oil prices could fuel inflation. And if central banks decide to raise interest rates to combat this trend, companies might tighten their belts by foregoing expensive investments in large-scale projects such as AI," Rybakov said.
He also emphasized that many AI data centers run on natural gas. Hence, a major problem for the tech industry will be Qatar, one of the world’s key liquefied natural gas (LNG) suppliers and a leading LNG player in the Middle East, losing about 17% of its LNG export capacity for three to five years due to infrastructure damage from Iranian strikes, which will lead to an increase in global gas prices. Global supplies of helium, a byproduct of natural gas processing used in chip production that powers AI, are also at risk, as much of it comes from Qatar.
"As the conflict drags on, concerns are growing over its potential impact on the AI sector, which could then spread to the global economy. <…> Market valuations of tech companies may come under significant pressure, as uncertainty persists and investors increasingly consider higher inflation, higher interest rates, and longer supply disruptions in their forecasts. Since the escalation of the Iranian conflict, Nvidia’s market capitalization has shown volatility, falling from its record highs at the end of 2025," the expert concluded.