Version 2.0 Interim ReportJanuary 2026 Disclaimer The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflectthe views of ITU. Any references made to specific countries, companies, products, initiatives orguidelines do not in any way imply that they are endorsed or recommended by ITU, the authors, The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not implythe expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of ITU concerning the legal status of any The mention of specific companies or certain manufacturer products does not imply that theyare endorsed or recommended by ITU in preference to others of a similar nature that are not All reasonable precautions have been taken by ITU to verify the information contained in thispublication. However, the published material is being distributed without warranty of any kind, The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect ISBN 978-92-61-41911-0 (electronic version)978-92-61-41921-9 (EPUB version) AI Ready – AnalysisTowards a Standardized Version 2.0 Interim Report Foreword Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the way we address complex societal challenges, offeringnew possibilities in areas such as healthcare, climate resilience, education, and digital inclusion.The ITU AI Readiness project was launched in 2024 to measure the ease/difficulties and the Last year, to further advance the discussions, ITU launched the ITU AI Readiness pilot Plugfestto collate and study projects on applying AI to solve real world problems. The ITU AI Readinessproject also called for engagement of experts to provide strategic feedback and guidance. 88experts from 38 countries were carefully selected. Mentoring and comments on the Plugfest Bringing the experience from analysing use cases, in 2025, an analytical approach was followedin combination with a bottom-up approach. This approach derives dimensions and metricesfor readiness analysis from the Plugfest project reports. A way forward for integrating regional We acknowledge the support and are very grateful for the encouragement provided by theKingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China As we continue developing the AI Readiness Project, we look forward to deepening ourcollaboration with partners worldwide, developing AI Readiness standards, building AI Table of contents List of contributors......................................................................................................................iv Acronyms......................................................................................................................................vi 1.Introduction..........................................................................................................................7 Background��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������7Insights from AI Readiness Study���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8 2.ITU AI Readiness Basic Framework.................................................................................12 Data�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������13 6.Future work........................................................................................................................43 Appendix: FAQ...........................................................................................................................46 References...................................................................................................................................51 List of contributors Acronyms AI Ready – Analysis Towards a Standardized Readiness Framework 1.Introduction Background This report provides an analysis of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Readiness study aimed atdeveloping a framework for assessing AI Readiness, which indicates the ability to reap thebenefits of AI integration. By studying the actors and characteristics in different domains, The ITU AI Readiness framework aims to engage with multiple stakeholders around the world,assess and improve the level of integration of AI in various domains, study use cases to validate In September 2024, ITU published its first version of the AI Readiness report, where 6 keyfundamental factors were identified: •Open Data: Accessibility and quality of datasets for analysis of AI applications.•Research: Collaboration between domain-specific and AI research communities.•Deployment: Infrastructure and ecosystem readiness for AI deployment.•Standards: Ensuring trust, interoperability, and compliance. To further study the role played by these components in the real practice, ITU and the Kingdomof Saudi Arabia called for engagement from the field and launched