TEHRAN- Martyr Majid Tajan Jar—a scientific genius who journeyed from the courtyard of his home in the village of Tajan Jar in Mazandaran Province to the heart of the world’s AI, now immortalized beside the word martyr.

Dr. Majid Tajan-Jari was a child who didn’t just take apart a broken radio but pieced its scattered fragments together like a puzzle, crafting a future with his small hands—a future that still echoes in the quiet of his childhood home.

It was as if an inner voice whispered to him: “The future begins right here.” This is the story told by a mother who witnessed every moment of it… and now narrates the silence of a home that her son, with his brilliance and his blood, gave meaning to.

A brilliance that seemed to have come from the future…

Some people are born not just for their own time, but for the times to come. From childhood, Dr. Majid Tajan-Jari showed signs of this timelessness in his demeanor—a sharp, creative mind that quickly blurred the line between play and science.

zobeideh Khaleghi, the martyr’s mother, recalls: “I remember one day when we went to the store together. Video players had just arrived. Majid was about ten or eleven. He took an old radio from his aunt, dismantled it, understood its components, and rebuilt it from scratch. We just watched, but it was as if he had a blueprint in his mind.”

Their simple courtyard became his laboratory—where he worked with electrical circuits and soldering. “One day, he asked me, ‘Mom, I don’t have a workshop—can I work here?’ I told him, ‘This house is yours. Do whatever you want.’”

Majid’s father, a retired employee, spoke of their financial struggles: “We had little, but Majid never gave up. He taught himself, built, and created.” At eighteen, he built a robot that didn’t just move—it thought.

Zobeideh continues: “We didn’t understand what he was making, but we knew it was something from the future.” Her voice is quiet, choked with emotion: “The pain of losing a child who was building the future is unbearable. The house feels smaller without him, and its silence is louder than ever.”

Yet Majid was not only unmatched in scientific brilliance—his ethics transcended ordinary boundaries. “He was kind to everyone; his respect and politeness were legendary,” his mother says. “Sometimes I thought his ‘grade’ in ethics was infinite.”

Majid’s move to Tehran was quiet and unassuming. “For fourteen years, he worked in silence,” his mother recalls. “I didn’t fully grasp what he was doing, but I felt he was fighting for something greater than himself.”

The scent of his shirt still lingers in the house…

Her voice trembles—not from breaking, but from standing firm, from honoring that pain. Softly, she says: “When I saw his body, it was as if the world stopped. I just looked at him… with that same smile he always had in my memory. I told myself, ‘Be calm—he wasn’t meant to stay. They didn’t bury him in the earth; they took him to the sky.’”

“He always said, ‘Kiss my throat, Mom…’” A brief silence follows. The mother looks down, then speaks a heavy truth: “Every time I visited his home, he’d say, ‘Mom, kiss my throat…’ Now I understand. I’m ashamed that the last time, I couldn’t kiss his throat.”

Our hearts are broken, but we have not collapsed

Amid this crushing grief, a voice rises from the depths of faith—not of mourning, but of resilience: “My sister calls every day and asks, ‘Zobeideh, I’m just his aunt, and I’m burning with grief—how are you still breathing?’ And I tell her, ‘Patience is the only thing Majid planted in my heart. He left, but he left his patience behind for me.’”

“His memory has lit up our lives.”

“We mothers live with our skin and bones—we touch pain. But every night, I tell myself, ‘Majid, my soul, though they took your body from me, your name, your memory, your voice are still with me. Sometimes, I still hear the door… as if you’re coming home, turning the key, saying, ‘Mom, I hope you’re not tired.’”

Ali Tajan-Jari, the martyr’s father, a quiet man with a gaze heavy with years of experience, sits on the couch, flipping through old photographs.

In a simple home, he had a global mind

His father, with a faint smile, glances toward the courtyard. A quiet pride lingers in his eyes: “That simple home, that humble courtyard, became the birthplace of boundless dreams.”

“From that small room, he connected with the world. He said, ‘I will stay in Iran, but my scientific voice must be heard beyond borders.’ And so it was. I often heard that when asked where his students were, he’d smile and say, ‘Everywhere… Spain, England, Canada, Turkey…’”

He built bridges from failure

A brief silence lingers between the father’s words before he continues: “In one of our talks, he said, ‘I’ve failed many, many times… but I built a home—a scientific family. All my chances were there.’ That group was called ‘AIO Learn’—young people who rose from the ground and reached the summit.”

The father places a hand on his chest, as if something deep within him speaks: “We didn’t know Majid was teaching. Not out of secrecy, but because, amid building robots and AI projects, that side of him was less visible.”

“One day, we heard his students had surpassed 500,000. Majid was a teacher without borders—with a virtual blackboard, yet magnificent. And all of it began in a room that didn’t even have an extra chair. Just love, a laptop, and a light of passion.”

“He always said, ‘Science must have attraction—not fear, not force… only motivation and the desire to know.’”

A Quran that still carries his presence…

Moments later, the father grows quieter. His eyes settle on a small Quran on the table—the one that had accompanied his son for years. Slowly, he takes out his glasses, places them on, and silently recites a verse.

His voice is soft, but the words are clear and firm. He closes the Quran, running his hand over its cover—as if still feeling the warmth of his son’s hands.

In the silence of the house, only the sound of his breathing can be heard. His gaze lingers on his son’s portrait. He says nothing. But that look tells a thousand unspoken words.

The end of a story, the beginning of a path

This chapter of Majid’s life was not just a career—it was part of Iran’s scientific identity today. A young man who chose to stay instead of emigrate, to build instead of complain, and to take root instead of leave.

In a simple home, with hands on a keyboard and a heart full of conviction, he trained students who now carry his legacy across the world.

The legacy he planted in life…

Mohaddeseh Tajan-Jari, the martyr’s sister, sits composed in the frame of the image. Soft light from a half-open window falls on her face. Her voice, delicate and measured, wavers between sorrow and pride:

“Sometimes they ask, ‘What did Majid leave behind?’ He had no children, no family of his own… But I say, ‘If only they knew what a child truly is.’”

“Majid did not father a child of his blood, but he fathered one of his mind—he named it his company. He always said with certainty, ‘I built AIO Learn… this is my child.’”

She pauses briefly, then adds: “Majid wasn’t just my brother—he was my confidant. We never fought—not because we couldn’t, but because there was no need. We were friends, united in thought, concern, and heart. More than a brother, he was my teacher—one whose silence itself was a lesson.”

“When my child was born, he was genuinely happy. He’d buy toys and say, ‘He must grow up intelligent.’ He wasn’t a father, but he lived fatherhood. In action, he was a martyr—not just in title.”

Her voice grows quieter, but the meaning grows heavier: “He didn’t see martyrdom only in combat. He stayed up till dawn coding, creating ideas, building the future. He wrote projects that seemed to come from decades ahead.”

“His jihad was a jihad of thought—his battlefield was science, his weapon genius. Martyrdom was not the end of his path—it was the manifestation of a life entirely devoted.”

My brother said ‘no’ to money, ‘yes’ to his homeland

The narrative shifts—from emotion to loyalty, from offers to faith. “When a major European company made him a staggering offer, everyone thought his choice was obvious. High salary, easy immigration… I told him, ‘Majid, it’s your decision.’ He smiled and said, ‘Mahdeh, I can’t live in a country where they lie about my people day and night. Even if I have to live in a tent, I’d rather be in my homeland.’”

An ascension that was preordained

Her gaze drifts to a distant point—a moment of silence. Then, with inner conviction, she says: “Majid wasn’t born—it was as if he descended. He came to build, to teach, to inspire… and when his mission was complete, he left. Not in silence, but at his peak.”

“I always think God entrusted Majid to us for only thirty-five years. Now, his mission is over… but his voice still flows.”

We are still standing…

Today, the small room in the Tajan-Jar home is silent. The sound of soldering is gone, the monitor remains dark, the desk empty. But the ideas born in that room are more alive than ever—in the pulse of research, the veins of science, the sky of hope.

Martyr Dr. Majid Tajan-Jari is no longer among us, but his vision still shines in the eyes of his students. His thoughts live on in the code he wrote, the projects he brought to life, the dreams he refused to leave unfinished.

He is gone, but his path remains. His principles—his belief in staying, in building, in nurturing elites on his homeland’s soil—endure.

A father, with eyes full of pride, spoke of a son who, in silence, in dignity, in action, wrote a new definition of scientific jihad.

And today, we are certain: some people do not come to stay—they come to light a lamp that will illuminate the path for years to come…

Martyr Dr. Majid Tajan-Jari was not just a scientific genius—he was the embodiment of committed, scholarly, and national life. A man who could have crossed borders, shone in the world’s best institutions, but chose to remain in this soil, take root, and build a bright future.

(Source: Mehr News Agency)

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, reshaping the workforce, and redefining the rules of competition. What was once science fiction is now embedded in our everyday lives—from intelligent virtual assistants and automated customer service bots to advanced predictive analytics in healthcare and finance. As AI continues to expand its capabilities, individuals and organizations face an urgent question: How do we stay relevant in the age of AI?

The answer lies not in resisting the inevitable, but in adapting to it, embracing a mindset of lifelong learning, cultivating uniquely human skills, and strategically leveraging AI as a collaborator rather than a competitor.

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1. Embrace Lifelong Learning

The most crucial shift in the AI era is a philosophical one: learning must never stop. In the past, a university degree could set the course for an entire career. Today, the half-life of skills—the time it takes for a skill to become half as valuable—continues to shrink, with estimates placing it at around five years or less in many tech-driven fields.

To stay relevant, individuals must continuously update their knowledge base. This doesn’t always mean going back to school. Online platforms like Coursera, edX, and LinkedIn Learning offer flexible, up-to-date courses in data science, digital marketing, cybersecurity, and AI fundamentals. Microlearning, bootcamps, and professional certifications can also offer rapid upskilling in key areas.

Staying relevant in the AI age means evolving as fast as the technology itself.

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2. Cultivate Uniquely Human Skills

AI excels at tasks that are repetitive, data-driven, or logic-based. However, there are limits to what AI can replicate—especially when it comes to human empathy, ethics, creativity, and emotional intelligence.

Skills such as:

Critical thinking – evaluating information, making sound decisions, and solving novel problems.

Communication – articulating complex ideas clearly, listening actively, and collaborating across diverse teams.

Creativity – thinking divergently, innovating, and imagining new possibilities.

Empathy and leadership – understanding human emotions and guiding people effectively.

These are competencies that remain difficult for AI to emulate and therefore represent a core area where humans hold a lasting advantage.

Workers who can integrate both technical and soft skills—what some call “T-shaped professionals”—are particularly valuable. They have deep knowledge in one area (like AI programming or design thinking) and broad capabilities across disciplines, making them adaptable and cross-functional.

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3. Learn to Collaborate With AI

Rather than fearing that AI will take jobs, the more productive outlook is to ask, “How can I use AI to enhance my work?”

Consider AI not as a rival, but as a tool for augmentation. For example:

A content creator can use AI to generate initial drafts or brainstorm headlines faster.

A data analyst can leverage machine learning models to uncover patterns that would take days to detect manually.

A marketer can personalize customer interactions using AI-powered recommendation engines.

Professionals who understand how to work with AI systems—inputting the right data, interpreting AI outputs, and making informed decisions—will become indispensable. This is particularly true in fields like healthcare, finance, law, and engineering, where AI can offer insights, but human oversight remains critical.

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4. Stay Curious and Adaptable

In the age of AI, agility is the new security. Industries will change. Job descriptions will evolve. Roles will emerge that don’t even exist today. The ability to remain open, curious, and agile is far more valuable than expertise in a single tool or platform.

Cultivating a “growth mindset”—a belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and persistence—is crucial. People with growth mindsets are more likely to embrace change, learn from failures, and reinvent themselves in response to new challenges.

Being adaptable also means paying attention to trends and shifts in your industry. Subscribing to tech newsletters, attending webinars, joining professional communities, or simply staying informed can help you anticipate changes before they disrupt your work.

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5. Ethical Awareness and Human-Centered Thinking

AI raises profound ethical questions—around bias, privacy, transparency, and accountability. As the technology becomes more powerful, ethical literacy becomes a vital skill. Understanding not just what AI can do, but what it should do, is critical.

Whether you’re a developer, policymaker, or user, approaching AI with a human-centered mindset—prioritizing fairness, inclusivity, and long-term impact—ensures that technological progress aligns with human values. Individuals who can bridge technical knowledge with ethical reasoning will play an essential role in shaping responsible AI systems.

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Final Thoughts

Staying relevant in the age of AI is less about outpacing machines and more about deepening what makes us distinctively human. The future belongs to those who can learn continuously, think critically, act ethically, and collaborate seamlessly with intelligent systems.

Rather than fearing the rise of AI, we must see it as an opportunity—an invitation to reimagine how we work, learn, and contribute in a world where change is the only constant. As AI takes over more routine tasks, our job is to do what AI cannot: lead with heart, think with nuance, and innovate with purpose.

In the end, staying relevant is not about resisting the future—it’s about becoming ready for it.

Choosing winners in the fast-paced artificial intelligence (AI) race isn’t always easy. Small AI start-ups can flame out quickly, while large companies run the risk of failing to keep up. Many investors opt to put their money in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track indexes to spread their money across a variety of companies.

One of the most popular ETFs with a lot of exposure to AI stocks is the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ -0.14%). The fund is designed to track the performance of the Nasdaq-100 index, and investing in it is a great way to benefit from the AI race without having to handpick the winners. Here’s why.

1. It has exposure to the top AI companies

The Invesco QQQ Trust‘s largest holdings are key players in the AI race and have already benefited — and will likely continue to benefit — as artificial intelligence grows. With this fund, you’ll be invested in Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, and Alphabet, as well as other tech companies making big moves in AI.

Consider that Nvidia is one of the leading AI processor companies, with an estimated 95% of the AI processor market, and that Amazon and Microsoft are the two largest cloud computing companies offering advanced AI services to their customers.

All of this means that owning some of Invesco QQQ Trust will allow you to tap into AI processors, AI cloud services, artificial intelligence software, and likely whatever new AI products and services debut over the coming years.

2. ETFs are a great investment for beginners and experts alike

Whether you’re just getting started in investing or you’ve been doing it for decades, ETFs are a great addition to any portfolio because they allow you to take some of the guesswork out of investing. Instead of poring over earnings calls and keeping tabs on how some macroeconomic news might affect the specific company you’re invested in, you can instead spread your money across many companies all at once.

Plus, with the Invesco QQQ Trust, your investment will track the combined movements of the top 100 non-financial companies on the Nasdaq, many of which are the world’s leading tech companies. As hundreds of billions of dollars are invested in AI in the coming years, this fund could continue to benefit from the strong artificial intelligence foundation that’s already been established.

3. Easy liquidity and relatively low costs

Being the fifth-largest ETF, you won’t have much of a problem buying or selling your shares of the Invesco QQQ Trust. A substantial amount of daily trading volumes and about $354 billion in assets under management mean that you’ll easily find a buyer when you’re ready to sell.

What’s more, the fund has a relatively low expense ratio of just 0.20%. If you have $1,000 in the fund, your annual expense ratio is just $2 in fees. Since it’s passively managed, the Invesco QQQ Trust charges far less than actively managed funds, which select stocks in an attempt to outperform specific indexes. Lower expense ratios help you keep more of the gains earned by the fund.

4. The Invesco QQQ Trust has been a top performer

No matter where you invest your money, there’s always a risk that your investments won’t perform well. And even if they do make significant gains when you own them, there’s no guarantee they’ll continue to do so.

But there’s something to be said for funds that historically perform well over time. Since its launch in 1999, the Invesco QQQ Trust has gained nearly 1,000% while the S&P 500 is up about 400%. Of course, that doesn’t mean it will continue growing at the same pace or even that the fund will outpace the broader market’s returns in the coming years. Still, it’s an indication the fund has, in the past, successfully benefited from large tech trends.

If you have $1,000 to spend right now and want to tap into artificial intelligence, this fund is a smart move. While there may be others with more focused exposure to AI, the Invesco QQQ Trust allows you to benefit from the largest technology companies on the Nasdaq, which could provide stability and long-term opportunity.