Organized by TRT since 2017, bringing together the world's leading names and this year "Decentralized World: Who Leads When the Rules Are Invalid?" TRT World Forum, held with the theme, continues at Istanbul Congress Center.
Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, in his speech at the session titled "Managing Responsibility in the Age of Artificial Intelligence" held within the scope of the forum, stated that artificial intelligence represents a turning point in the long history of humanity's development.
Noting that artificial intelligence systems, built on decades of research and fed by huge data and computing power, can now understand language, recognize complex patterns, produce content and solve problems that once required years of human expertise, Kacır said, "However, the most profound change is not only about what these systems can achieve. It is about how they reshape the relationship between human judgment and machine autonomy." he said.
Emphasizing that the increasing autonomy of artificial intelligence brings with it responsibility and security issues, Kacır said, "We can delegate the authority to artificial intelligence, but we cannot delegate the responsibility." he said.
Explaining that people have been developing tools to expand their abilities for centuries, Kacır said that they are progressing from machines that carry out instructions to systems that can use a certain discretion when implementing these instructions.
Minister Kacır stated that the question of who will be responsible if artificial intelligence goes beyond the instructions and makes a mistake or causes damage has become important, and pointed out that these systems may cause security violations, fatal accidents and discriminatory consequences.
Stating that the lack of transparency in advanced artificial intelligence systems makes accountability difficult, Kacır explained that the resources required to develop artificial intelligence are concentrated in the hands of a small number of technology companies.
Kacır stated that in 2025, more than 90 percent of the world's leading artificial intelligence models will be developed by the sector, and an estimated 70 percent of the global artificial intelligence processing power will be in the hands of only 5 companies.
Pointing out that there is a lack of a universal and binding framework that will ensure the safe, fair and responsible use of artificial intelligence, Kacır emphasized that disinformation originating from artificial intelligence threatens social trust, public debates and the reliability of institutions.
Kacır said, "Governments have a fundamental responsibility to set clear rules, provide effective oversight and protect fundamental rights in a world increasingly driven by artificial intelligence. However, protecting society and advancing innovation must go hand in hand. A human-centered and risk-based approach offers the best path forward. This is the understanding in Türkiye's approach to artificial intelligence." he said.
Minister of Industry and Technology Kacır stated that they built Türkiye's goals in the field of artificial intelligence "on the ecosystem of research, innovation and industrial production" and stated that they have provided artificial intelligence skills to 82 thousand university students to date.
Explaining that TÜBİTAK Artificial Intelligence Institute brings together scientific expertise with the needs of the industry, and that they support the transformation of research into innovative products, services and economic value through Artificial Intelligence Ecosystem Calls, Kacır stated that they are also working to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of SMEs by adopting artificial intelligence technologies.
Stating that they organize training and competition programs to develop qualified human resources in the field of artificial intelligence, Kacır said that they contribute to the training of new generation researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs with initiatives such as TEKNOFEST and Deneyap Technology Workshops.
Kacır stated that 9 thousand researchers have benefited from the computing capacity of the national supercomputer infrastructure so far, and within the scope of the Digital Europe Program and EuroHPC Joint Initiative, researchers and entrepreneurs have been provided free access to 100 million dollars worth of computing resources on Europe's leading supercomputers.
Minister Kacır explained that they accelerated investments in artificial intelligence and data centers with the HIT-30 High Technology Investment Program, expanded the computing capacity and built the infrastructure required to support Türkiye's growing artificial intelligence ecosystem.
Reminding that they prepared Türkiye's 2030 Artificial Intelligence Action Plan, Kacır emphasized that the comprehensive road map they prepared placed responsible innovation, human supervision and social trust at the center of artificial intelligence goals.
Kacır pointed out the importance of the action plan built on awareness, benefit, construction and direction, and continued his words as follows:
"Our goal is to place Türkiye among the leading countries in artificial intelligence technologies. We aim to provide artificial intelligence literacy skills to 5 million of our citizens, and to train 10 thousand advanced artificial intelligence experts, as well as 100 thousand professionals who can apply these technologies in different sectors. By opening at least 2 thousand public data sets to researchers and entrepreneurs, we will offer them new opportunities to develop solutions to real-world problems. We will increase Türkiye's data center capacity to at least 1 gigawatt by 2030, "We will mobilize at least 10 billion dollars of investment led by the private sector in centers, cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure."
Minister of Industry and Technology Kacır said that the Turkish major language model BİLGE will strengthen Türkiye's technological independence and pave the way for new productive artificial intelligence applications designed for the Turkish and local ecosystem.
Kacır said, "We will make the first version of BİLGE available to developers very soon, enabling our startups, researchers and companies to build new products and services on Türkiye's own artificial intelligence competencies." he said.
Stating that they are also working on regulations for the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence, Kacır stated that they aim to impose different obligations according to the risks of applications and to provide stronger assurances and human supervision in high-risk systems.
Stating that they will create regulatory testing areas in priority sectors so that entrepreneurs and researchers can test new technologies within the framework of certain rules, Kacır said that they will establish the Artificial Intelligence Ethics Board, which will provide guidance on the protection of privacy, prevention of discrimination and children's safety.
Kacır stated that Türkiye contributes to studies on artificial intelligence governance, security, accountability and international cooperation in international platforms such as G20, OECD, UNESCO, Organization of Turkic States and the United Nations.
Minister Kacır emphasized that leadership in the age of artificial intelligence will be possible not only by having technological power, but also by managing the risks of this technology and ensuring that it is used for the benefit of all humanity.
Describing the future shaped by artificial intelligence as "entrust", Kacır said, "There is a word in our language: 'Entrust'. It refers to a value left under our supervision, which we are obliged to protect and pass on to those after us. The future shaped by artificial intelligence is such a trust." he said.
Kacır added that Türkiye is ready to lead a global artificial intelligence vision that protects human dignity and ensures that all countries have a say in shaping the common future.
